


Elemental Magic Part 2

by Persiflage



Series: Bondkink Fics [42]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternative Universe - Magic, Battle, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Elemental Magic, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Familiars, Hurt/Comfort, Mage, Multi, Romance, Sex Magic, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-07 02:16:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/743000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James and Olivia find themselves on a Quest...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wolfsbride](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfsbride/gifts).



> This follows on directly from [Elemental Magic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/718196) and sees our heroes off on a magical quest.  
> I have 'fantasy cast' the following actors as original characters: Maggie Smith - Queen Tomrys, Berenice Marlhoe - Miriel, Ian McKellan - Lord Valar, Patrick Stewart - Lord Maximillian, Gemma Arterton - Deborah.

It had been a busy two weeks since Olivia and James had returned from Ceann Tor; between work relating to the management of Olivia's estate, further research into the spell for mind-to-mind contact which they had begun developing prior to their ill-fated trip to Ceann Tor, and their mentoring of Eve and Felix, respectively, the mage and her familiar had rather lost touch with the outside world.

Their contact was renewed via a summons, couched as an invitation, from Lord Valar for the two mages and their familiars to return to Hultsford Castle for the formal recognition of Eve and Felix as a bonded pair.

The invitation was brought by Lord Valar's familiar, Miriel, who flew in at dusk one evening shortly before the Spring Solstice. The familiar's human form was a dark-haired, dark-eyed, olive-complexioned woman who was nearly as tall as James and looked only a few years younger than him. Olivia couldn't help contrasting her own appearance (pale complexion, blue eyes, white hair, and short stature) unfavourably with Miriel's, particularly when she saw the way James could barely keep his eyes off their visitor. 

Miriel verbally relayed Lord Valar's invitation, concluding with the information that "Lord Valar also wants to discuss the Ceann Tor situation with you once the ceremony is over."

 _Well, I know how to interpret that,_ thought Olivia, annoyed. That meant she'd be getting a lengthy lecture from Valar about how she shouldn't have got involved with Mallory's campaign against the Vihollisian invaders – never mind the fact that Valar and the other Elders had sanctioned her involvement.

James went to see Miriel out, and Olivia noted that he seemed to take a long time in returning. She found herself wondering just how attracted James was to the other familiar: it wasn't completely unprecedented for two familiars to share an intimate relationship, she knew, although it wasn't something that was discussed very much; she recalled that James had told her of one such relationship when they'd been discussing Quinn's actions at Ceann Tor.

When James returned, he was smiling to himself ,and Olivia had to bite back a sarcastic comment. She was annoyed with herself for reacting jealously, but even more annoyed that James seemed oblivious to her feelings.

"I suppose Lord Valar's going to have something to say about us helping Mallory," James observed, strolling over to where Olivia sat beside the fire.

"Doubtless," she said shortly, not looking up at him.

He crouched down beside her chair, and placed his right hand over hers where it rested on the chair arm. "Are you all right?" he asked, sounding concerned. 

"I'm fine." She moved her hand from under his and pushed herself to her feet, but before she could move away, he put his hand on her shoulder and ducked his head to peer into her face.

"Olivia? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she snapped, then added, "I'm sorry. I'm feeling rather tired this evening."

"Then why don't we have an early night?" he suggested. "I can ask Mrs Porter to send up some soup on a tray."

She shook her head. "I think I'll just go and lie down for a bit."

"Do you want me to come and give you a foot rub?"

"No, thank you." She moved past him, careful not to brush against his body, and made her way upstairs, feeling every one of her seventy years this evening.

Once in their bedroom, she undressed slowly, trying to ignore the tears that were prickling against her eyelids. She couldn't blame James for finding Miriel attractive, not when age and gravity were catching up with her body. She pulled on her nightgown, then climbed into bed and, rolling onto her stomach, stifled her sobs in her pillow.

007-007-007

James was puzzled; he had expected Olivia to be her usual acerbic self on the topic of Lord Valar, of whom she had never been fond, even before he'd become head of the Elders. She considered him pompous, long-winded, and a little too fond of the sound of his own voice. Instead, she'd said nothing on the subject, and gone hurrying upstairs as if she couldn't get away fast enough. 

With that thought came a suspicion about why she might have reacted that way, and taken together with her obvious desire not to be touched by him, he suddenly realised that she was unhappy with the way he'd allowed himself to watch Miriel. He rubbed a hand over his face, wondering what was the best course to adopt; he and Olivia rarely fought over anything these days because they'd been together too long and knew how to negotiate the rare instances of disagreement between them. This wasn't a fight exactly, but he was certain that he'd hurt her and he wouldn't be at all surprised if she had felt some pangs of jealousy. He sighed, then made his way to the kitchen to speak to Mrs Porter.

Ten minutes later he pushed open the bedroom door with his left hand, a laden tray balanced on his right. He saw Olivia, face down on the bed, and felt a twisting sensation in his chest as he realised she was crying. He carried the tray across to the bedside table, then crouched down beside the bed and tentatively put a hand on her shoulder.

"Olivia, I'm sorry."

"Go away."

Her voice was muffled by the pillow but the instruction was clear. "Make me," he said, knowing how she would react to that challenge. Sure enough, she pushed herself up and glared at him, and he marvelled that even when she'd been crying, she still looked beautiful. 

"How dare you?" she demanded.

He gave a little shrug, "Because I love you," he said. "Even with red eyes and tear-stains on your cheeks, you're still beautiful to me, and I still love you." He leaned forward and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry I made you feel jealous, but you needn't have been. Miriel is very attractive, it's true, but you're the one I'm bonded with, and do you really know me so little after so long that you'd believe that I'd give up fifty plus years with you for the sake of a brief dalliance with her? She's not half as powerful as you, nor half as interesting."

Before Olivia could speak, he leaned in closer and kissed her as tenderly as he knew how, putting all his love and passion and admiration for her into the kiss, and when she moaned into his mouth, he rolled her onto her back, then climbed up onto the bed and pressed his body against hers.

"You're the only woman for me, Olivia Mansfield, always have been, and always will be, until death sunders us," he told her, and pulled her body flush with his so that she could feel just how much he wanted her.

"James!" 

She gasped his name, then he felt her hands on his member, and he quickly lifted her nightgown, to push inside her. He groaned as he felt her slick heat surrounding him, welcoming him in. Once he was fully sheathed inside her, he leant his weight on his forearms and looked down at her face. 

"Do you believe me?" he demanded. "Do you believe that I could never hope to have what I have with you with any other woman, mage or Elemental? Do you believe that I could never want another woman as much as I want you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good." He lowered his body over hers and began to kiss her face, butterfly kisses on her eyelids and cheeks, deeper kisses on her mouth, nips at her lips and ears, and as he kissed her, he began to thrust, shallowly at first, then more strongly as he felt her passion rising to meet his.

After they were both spent and sated, he rolled onto his side, pulling her with him and snuggling close. "All right?" he asked softly.

"Yes." She stared at him for a long moment and he watched her silently. "I'm sorry I got jealous of Miriel."

He gave her a crooked smile. "I'm sorry I made you jealous." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, eliciting a giggle that made him smile. "Are you hungry?"

She gave him a look that told him this was a silly question, so he sat up, then got up to fetch the tray from the bedside table. "I told Mrs Porter you weren't feeling very well, so she made this up for us."

Olivia sat up and he rested the tray across her legs, uncovering two bowls of thick soup and a plate full of thickly sliced bread. "Thank you." 

"If we get hungry again later, I can always go and raid the pantry," he said, making her laugh again. He felt relieved to hear her laughter, knowing that she had forgiven him for his earlier thoughtlessness.

007-007-007

The next morning Olivia woke James early so that they could get on the road to Hultsford Castle. He groaned when she opened the curtains and buried his head under his pillow, making her chuckle.

"Come on James, rise and shine." She ran a hand down his back, then pinched his buttock, making him jerk away from her.

"Why are you dressed already?" he demanded petulantly, rubbing one hand over the spot she'd pinched.

"Because we need to get an early start," she answered. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at him as he lay on his side, naked and aroused. She was very tempted to get back into bed with him, but admitted to herself that she was still a little sore from last night: she suspected that if she were to rejoin him now she would find riding her horse later very uncomfortable. 

"You're staring," James said, then cupped himself in his right hand and asked, "Like what you see?" He leered at her, and she laughed.

"I do like what I see," she agreed. "But I think it would be best if I didn't see it."

He pouted at her and she shook her head, then walked away, suppressing a giggle at his behaviour. She paused by the door, "Come on, James, get up or you won't have time for breakfast."

She glanced at him, then went out, knowing he would be dressed and downstairs quickly since he'd want to break his fast as much as she did.

007-007-007

Down the valley from Walden Hall, the young mage Eve Moneypenny and her familiar, Felix, lived in a cottage beside the River Rowse. They had only been bonded for two weeks and were still getting to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and learning to combine their magics. The past fortnight had constituted a steep learning curve for them, both individually and as a bonded pair, although they had been helped a good deal by the support of Olivia and James.

"Do we have to got Hultsford?" Felix asked as he and Eve lay in bed that morning. "I can't say I liked that Lord Valar much, and his familiar looked at me like I was a bug she wanted to squish."

Eve laughed softly. "Miriel does have a superior sort of manner, doesn’t she?" She rolled onto her side and pressed her body against Felix's. "I confess, I'd sooner stay here, and I'm sure that Olivia and James are no keener to go either, but it would be discourteous not to go, and cause trouble too." As she leaned in to kiss him, her right hand snaked down to his stomach to slide down the length of his half-flaccid member which rested there. "Besides, I sort of want to show you off."

"What, all of me?" Felix murmured, feeling a coil of arousal tightening in his belly as Eve's small hand, so quick and clever, brought him to full alertness.

"Well, maybe not quite all," she said, biting on his bottom lip. She moved her body over his and slipped his member inside herself all in one movement, moaning softly as he filled her. He clasped her hips, watching her intently as she began to lift herself up until he nearly slipped out, before sinking back down again. He loved to watch her when they joined: the intent expression on her face, the way she bit her bottom lip as she concentrated on bringing them both to a climax, the light sheen of sweat on her darker skin, and the way her nipples tightened as her arousal grew. 

On top of all that, was the way in which Eve's aura glowed after they had joined: the power and energy they shared made it obvious to anyone, mage or familiar, that they were bonded, and he liked that thought – being with Eve made him feel as if they could do anything at all with their power, and he rather wanted to do something quite magnificent.

After she climaxed, Eve slumped down on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her. "We really should get up soon," she murmured. 

"I already did," Felix answered, and she giggled, burying her face in his chest.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she told him.

"Yeah, but I made you laugh," he said, then sat up. "What time are Olivia and James meeting us?"

Eve glanced at the clock. "In an hour and a half."

"Shall we bathe together to save time?"

She lifted both eyebrows. "Is that wise, do you think?"

Felix lifted both hands in a gesture of surrender. "I promise, no funny stuff."

She gave him a stern look, and he batted his eyelashes at her. "Very well, but I don't want to be late."

"We won't be."

"Good."

007-007-007

True to Felix's word, he and Eve were ready when Olivia and James rode up an hour and a half later. The four exchanged greetings, then Eve and Felix mounted their own horses and they set out towards Hultsford Castle.

The two day journey was pleasant, James and Olivia took it in turns to ride beside Eve and Felix, so that they could all talk and get to know one another better. Olivia shared with both Eve and Felix details of the spell she and James had been developing for the past month to allow mages and Elementals to make contact with each other mind-to-mind. At the moment they could only manage brief contact provided one person was touching the other, but they hoped to develop it both to give longer periods of mental contact, and eventually, mental contact without the necessity of physical contact as well. They were both fascinated by the idea, and Felix, being an Air Elemental, had some interesting thoughts which Olivia found useful, things which had not occurred to her, despite being an Air mage.

"We'll have to work on this together after we get back home," Olivia said as they settled down to dinner the first evening. 

"Really?" asked Felix, his tone eager. "Would you mind?" He looked at James worriedly, and the older Elemental chuckled. 

"No, I won't mind. After all, I can't help that particular aspect of Olivia's work, being a Fire Elemental," James answered.

"But wouldn't we – " Felix broke off, and even though his skin was darker, like Eve's, he was clearly blushing. 

"Wouldn't we what?" asked James, secretly amused because he could guess what Felix was wondering. 

"Wouldn't we have to join?" Felix asked quietly.

"I take it that Eve hasn't told you about the time she helped us to perform the _longsight_ spell, then?" Olivia asked. 

James shot her a disappointed look and she smirked unrepentantly at him. "As Olivia says, we can combine our Elemental powers to perform spells without needing to join. Eve knows from her own experience that a mage and an Elemental can perform magic without consummating their bond, but your powers are not at their full capacity. Joining as we do strengthens our powers, but that intimacy also increases our trust in each other – it's much harder to perform magic with someone if there's little trust between you since it spoils your concentration and distracts you from what you're doing."

"What James says is true," Olivia said, "but at the same time it's not unheard of for a mage to share intimacy with more than one Elemental in order to perform a very complex spell. I know of one recorded instance, about four hundred years ago, where two mages and two Elementals who needed to carry out a particularly complex spell spent twenty four hours together and each one of the four joined intimately with the other three to create an unprecedented level of trust between them."

"Did it work?" asked Eve, sounding curious.

Olivia nodded. "Oh yes. They created a ring which could be used to enhance the wearer's Elemental powers to an immense degree. The ring was used to protect mages in the Kingdom of Hetmanate against a mage who'd gone rogue and was waging a civil war there."

"So, you see Felix," James said, "you can help Olivia with the mind-to-mind contact spell without needing to become intimate with her, or fearing I'll come after you with a big fiery spell."

Eve shot him a worried look, Felix cringed, and Olivia shook her head. "Ignore him," she told the younger pair. "He's just teasing."

"Oh I am, am I?" James did his best to look menacing, then chuckled at the looks the other three were giving him. "It's okay, Felix, Olivia's right, I am teasing you."

The younger Elemental sagged back against his chair in obvious relief, making the other three smile. "Thank the Goddess for that." He mopped his brow theatrically, then looked at Olivia, "In that case, I'd be honoured to work with you."

"Good." She smiled at him, and James felt a momentary pang of jealousy, which he knew was completely irrational since he'd just said he didn't mind Felix working with Olivia. He pushed the feeling aside and looked over at Eve. "Maybe we two can work together while Felix is working with Olivia."

The younger woman gave him a shy smile. "I'd like that."

"Then we shall." 

007-007-007

They arrived at Hultsford Castle late the following day, and were relieved to discover that Lord Valar did not deem it necessary for them to dine with him since they were all very weary and feeling more in need of peace and quiet, and rest, than in formal dining and a lot of company. A large number of mages and Elementals had come to the Castle for Eve and Felix's formal ceremony of recognition, and the large Dining Hall was likely to be packed and noisy. 

The four were shown to their suites of rooms, and the Steward organised for dinner to be sent up to them. They opted to eat separately, Eve and Felix in their suite, and Olivia and James in theirs.

After bathing but before eating, James gave Olivia a foot rub, and she offered to give him a back massage. "If you do that," he said, flexing her left foot carefully, "I shall probably fall asleep."

"Well, that would be terrible," she said, smiling up at him from where she lay stretched out on the bed.

"Well, it would," he agreed peaceably, putting down her left foot and resting her right one on his knee as he sat crossed legged at the end of the bed. "Because all the way here, I've been wanting to be with you, but you were so tired last night – "

"I'm sorry." She started to sit up and he hushed her, waving her back.

"Olivia, that wasn't a complaint. I quite understood that all you wanted to do was cuddle and sleep. And if that's all you want to do tonight, as well, then we're going to do exactly that. I am quite capable of controlling myself and waiting until you're not too tired." 

"I know you are," she said softly. She was about continue when there was a knock on the door, and James set her foot aside, and slid off the bed to go and open it. 

The Steward, accompanied by two young men, came in with trays of food and a carafe of wine. "Is there anything else you require?" Thomas asked Olivia.

"No, thank you Thomas."

The Steward gave them a dignified short bow, then ushered out the young men and closed the door behind him. James locked it again, then returned to the bed, where Olivia was sitting up. 

"Why don't we eat," she suggested. "Then we'll see how much stamina this old lady has for anything further."

James took her hand to help her off the bed, then lifted it so he could kiss her knuckles. "Old lady nothing," he said, guiding her to the dining table where the trays of food had been set out for them.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll be seventy in three weeks time."

"And you could live to be one hundred and twenty," James pointed out.

She chuckled. "True."

007-007-007

Eve and Felix's ceremony of recognition went ahead the following morning with all the pomp and circumstance which Lord Valar deemed necessary, and which Olivia could see Felix and Eve found merely embarrassing.

They were invited to luncheon with Lord Valar and Miriel, and the other Elders and their familiars, and while Lady Jynest and Lord Brightstone did their level best to keep the conversation light, Olivia was very aware of how tense Valar was, and how unusually little his familiar Miriel was talking. She felt fairly tense herself, knowing that Valar was probably going to reprimand her for helping General Mallory defeat the Vihollisian invaders, and feeling that such a reprimand was hypocritical since he had sanctioned her involvement in the first place. 

Following the luncheon, Olivia, James, Eve and Felix went up to the Observatory, where they found Lord Valar and Miriel awaiting them, plus someone whose presence astonished Olivia, although she felt sure only James would know just how taken aback she was: Captain William Tanner, Adjutant to General Gareth Mallory.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you already know Captain Tanner?" Valar said, waving them towards seats.

"We do," agreed Olivia as she sat down. James' hand squeezed her knee under the table and she glanced sideways at him to see he was also surprised by Tanner's presence.

"I wish to discuss with you the situation at Ceann Tor. As you will no doubt have heard, General Mallory has made a claim to the throne of Hentone, and has taken an as-yet-unbonded mage woman named Vesper Lynd as his wife. Mistress Lynd is seventeen and only came into her Elemental powers three weeks ago. She, so Mallory claims, has access to a spell which, when used in conjunction with a certain ancient ring, will allow her to bear him a child."

Olivia felt James' hand tighten on her knee, and guessed he, like she, was thinking of the coincidence of her telling Eve and Felix about that ring's creation just two night's ago. "You're talking about Karpinsky's Ring, aren't you?" she asked flatly.

"I am," agreed Valar. "I see you know of it."

"You know me, Valar, I've long had an interest in those mages and Elementals who've worked together in larger groups than their bonded pairs. Karpinsky's Ring is the most famous example of what a group of mages and Elementals can achieve when they all work together."

"Indeed." Valar's tone was dry but Olivia thought she detected a hint of distaste in his tone. She supposed that he was aware of just how Karpinsky and her colleagues had achieved their creation of the Ring, and she suspected that he disapproved. For all that Valar's Elemental had a very attractive female form, he had, she knew, always been prudish about joining with Miriel. The latter had confided this to her once, when Olivia and Valar had been in their late twenties, explaining that Valar always wanted to get the act of joining over as quickly as possible, and that he rarely complimented Miriel on her appearance or dress.

"Why are we concerning yourselves with Karpinsky's Ring?" asked Olivia. "It's lost. It's been lost for two centuries. I very much doubt whether Mallory, or even his new wife, could locate it."

"No, but he might dispatch someone else to find it for him," Valar said. "This issue concerns us mages and Elementals, and it also concerns Queen Tomrys. To that end she wishes the Ring to be found."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "I presume that's why Captain Tanner is here?"

"It is, my lady," answered Tanner smoothly. "Her Majesty has asked me to request the assistance of Lord Valar in finding the Ring."

"Let me guess," Olivia said, not bothering to hide her dislike of the idea. "Lord Valar's proposing to volunteer my services, and those of my familiar, James, to find this legendary Ring?"

"That is a correct summation of the situation," Valar answered pompously.

Olivia heaved a silent sigh, and felt James rubbing his hand up and down her leg, probably trying to soothe her since he almost certainly knew how much she hated this idea. "Do we have any idea where in the Kingdom of Hetmanate Karpinsky's Ring's to be found?"

Valar nodded. "Miriel has been doing some research in the Archive."

 _Has she indeed?_ thought Olivia, surprised by this piece of information since it was uncharacteristic of the familiar to bother with anything so scholarly.

"I found a diary kept by one of the mages mentored by Karpinsky during that period. We’re not sure how it ended up in our Archive, but the important thing is that it mentions that Karpinsky and her colleagues did most of their work in the Azov Oblast, that's in the north-eastern region of the Hetmanate."

"Well, knowing that much is a start, I suppose," Olivia conceded. She looked at Tanner, ignoring Valar for the moment. "If we're going to go on this 'quest' of yours, or rather, the Queen's, then I must insist that James and I are allowed some time to do some preliminary research of our own in the Archive before we leave."

"If you're going– ?" began Valar.

"Yes, Lord Valar, if. James and I are under no obligation to go searching for this ring – Queen Tomrys must have other mages on whom she can call. Indeed, I don't know why we have to go."

"I asked Lord Valar if he would ask you to go," Tanner said quietly. "I saw what the pair of you did at Ceann Tor. I saw the strength of your power, your magic. I told Queen Tomrys that if anyone could find the ring, you and James were the pair to do it, and she requested that I bring you both to see her."

Olivia couldn't doubt the sincerity in the young man's tone, and it mollified her. "Thank you Captain Tanner." She turned back to Valar. "I trust you have no objection to James and I doing some research in the Archive before we go to Ambresden?"

"None," he said shortly. "Do you wish to make a start today?"

"The sooner, the better, I would have thought," Olivia answered, and got to her feet.

"Very well. I wish you good hunting."

"Thank you." Olivia turned and swept out of the Observatory in as dignified a manner as she could. She felt James' right hand clasp her left as they strode along the corridor and she squeezed his fingers.

"What do you make of this 'quest'?" she asked him quietly.

"I doubt we'll find the ring," he said, "but if we can't, I doubt anyone Mallory sends could find it either. I've never been to the Kingdom of Hetmanate, so it will be interesting to go – and presumably we'll be going at Tomrys' expense, not our own. And now's the right time of year to go. It would be far worse to go in winter."

"True." Olivia sighed quietly. "I'd rather not go, though."

"I know, love." He squeezed her fingers. "Are we going to take Eve and Felix?" 

"If they'll come," Olivia said, glancing back over her shoulder at the younger pair, who were whispering animatedly to each other. "Which seems likely."

"Good. Four heads are better than two. And it'll give us a chance to work on that mind-to-mind spell since it's a long train journey from Kergroise Harbour across the continent to Azov Oblast."

"Good thinking."

"I try." He said, smiling at her. "Let's go back to our rooms before we go down to the Archive."

She gave him a puzzled look, but didn't argue, and let him lead her up to their suite.

"What's wrong?" she asked, once they were inside.

"Nothing." He pulled her gently into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I just thought you might need a good cuddle after that meeting with Valar and Tanner, and I didn't want to do it out in the corridor where anyone might see."

"I'm not ashamed of you being affectionate with me, James," she protested.

"I never imagined you were," he said, with a soft chuckle. "But I thought it important to preserve your dignity out there." 

Olivia stretched up on tiptoes and kissed him firmly on the mouth. "Thank you, James. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"You're welcome." He returned her kiss, then pulled back and said, "We'd better go and make a start on that research."

"Yes," she said, sighing again.

007-007-007

They spent two and a half days in the Archive at Hultsford Castle, Eve and Felix, and Tanner as well, helped them to find as much information as they could about Karpinsky and her colleagues. Miriel even came and helped for a few hours one afternoon, which amazed Olivia.

"Maybe she's turning over a new leaf?" James suggested when Olivia mentioned her surprise that night as they lay curled up together in bed after a slow and tender joining. 

"Maybe," Olivia said, stifling a yawn.

"You should sleep," he told her, kissing her forehead. 

"Mmm." She snuggled closer to James as they lay on their sides facing each other and he tightened his arms around her.

As Olivia slid into sleep James found himself wondering about Miriel and what was motivating her to be so helpful at the moment. As a general rule, she tended to treat everyone else as her inferior, and he couldn't recall a single instance of her ever being helpful to any mage or Elemental in all the time he'd known her. He decided that he would take the time to go and see Madam Elfennol before he and Olivia set out from Ambresden: if anyone could shed light on Miriel's behaviour, then the head of the Council of Elementals was the person to do it. He made a mental note to wake early on the following day so that he wouldn't have to waste too much research time in making the trip.

007-007-007

James slipped from the bed, leaving Olivia curled in a ball, still fast asleep, and quietly crossed into the bathroom, where he made the transition into the Realm of Elementals. It occurred to him that Mistress Elfennol might well mock him for coming back again so soon after his previous visit, when he normally didn't go there very regularly, but he wouldn't mind if she did mock him – he sensed it was important to know what, if anything, Miriel was up to.

"Hello James, back again so soon?" asked Mistress Elfennol as he took form in the other realm. 

"Greetings Mistress." He made a low bow to the elder Elemental as she approached him. "I'm afraid I need your help."

"Not lost someone again, have you James?" she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"No Mistress. This matter concerns Miriel."

"Lord Valar's Elemental? What of her?"

"I presume you know that General Mallory has taken a newly empowered mage woman as his wife and claims that she knows of a spell which can be used, in conjunction with Karpinsky's Ring, to allow him to get her pregnant?"

"I know of this, yes."

"Lord Valar and Queen Tomrys have requested that Lady Olivia and I go in search of this ring. And Lord Valar's familiar is being uncharacteristically helpful with regard to our research for more information about Karpinsky and her work. I wondered if you knew why."

"I have not seen Miriel in some time as she rarely comes here. However, I will see what I can find out for you. Lord Maximillian's familiar, Deborah, may be able to help me with that." There was a pause, then Mistress Elfennol added, "I suppose you've considered the possibility that Miriel and General Mallory may be in cahoots?" 

"That was my immediate suspicion," James admitted. "Although I was loathe to entertain the idea since it would mean Miriel was betraying Lord Valar, and her bond with him."

"Such a betrayal is rare, certainly," Mistress Elfennol agreed. "But it is not wholly without precedent, unfortunately."

"But why would she do that? What can Mallory possibly offer Miriel that Valar doesn't?" 

"Knowing Miriel, something sexual, I imagine. She's never been happy that Valar shows so little interest in joining with her."

"It must be more than that, though, surely?" James argued. "After all, if she really wants more sex, she can get that by going behind Valar's back at any time. I'm sure plenty of human men would jump at the chance of joining with her, were it offered."

"Then she must want Karpinsky's Ring," Mistress Elfennol said. "After all, it's a very potent artefact which makes its wearer even more powerful. If she's helping you to find information that will enable you to locate the Ring, she probably intends to acquire the Ring for herself. I presume Lord Valar's ordered that the Ring be brought back to him if you succeed in finding it?"

"Yes. He's said he'll dispose of it once he has it."

"Then I imagine Miriel intends to steal it and use it for her own ends."

"Perhaps we'd better not find it, then?"

"At this juncture, I think it's better that you do find it, but that you don't hand it over to Valar."

"Very well. Thank you for your help and advice, Mistress Elfennol."

"Good luck with the search, James."

He bowed a second time, then returned to the human realm, in time to startle Olivia who had just walked into the bathroom.

"James!" She caught hold of him as he staggered forward. 

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's all right," she said, "come back to bed."

He let her guide him back to the bed and slumped onto it gratefully. "What time is it?"

"Half past four," she told him, covering him up.

"Oh good."

He felt her place a kiss on his temple and was vaguely aware of her walking away, before sleep reclaimed him again.

007-007-007

Olivia reluctantly woke James three hours later. She was tempted to let him sleep on, but she was curious to discover why he'd snuck off the Realm of Elementals in the early hours of the morning: she guessed he'd been to see Mistress Elfennol, but couldn't guess why.

He gave her a slightly bemused look when she shook him awake, then got out of bed to stumble into the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later, looking more awake and, she couldn't fail to notice, aroused. He must have caught the direction of her eyes because he smirked at her as he came back to the bed. 

"Well, would you look at that," he said, clearly aiming for a nonchalant tone. "I guess I'm up."

Olivia couldn't stop herself from giggling at this and he gave her a mock-offended look, then grabbed at her, tickling her.

"James!" she protested. "Stop it. I want you to tell me why you went to see Mistress Elfennol in the middle of the night."

He pulled her closer until they were lying on their sides facing each other, and he lifted her left leg so that he could ease his member inside her. "I wanted to talk to her about Miriel."

She uttered a soft moan of pleasure as James filled her, then asked, "What did Mistress Elfennol say?"

He slid a hand to the back of her head and moved closer so he could kiss her. "Tell you later," he murmured, and she was too distracted to argue. She would ask him before they went to breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

The first things any visitor to Ambresden noticed were the Castle, where the Royal Household lived, and the soaring Minster. Both were ancient stone buildings which towered over the rest of the city, dwarfing it and its residents alike. Ambresden Castle was built on a large, grass-covered mound, and the whole complex was surrounded by stout defensive stone walls, in front of which was a large lake that had been artificially created by damming the nearby river. 

Its defensive aspects were constantly in the forefront of both visitors' and residents' minds, which explained why it had never been attacked during the six hundred years since it had been built following the end of the Mage Wars. The Great Tower stood on the left, its floor plan consisted of four interpenetrating 'lobes' and it was three storeys high. In front of the Great Tower was a forebuilding which contained a chapel on the ground floor and a small room above it housing the windlass for operating the portcullis. The tower contained four rooms on each floor, which were grouped around a central octagonal pillar that held up the fireplaces in the first- and second-floor rooms. One of the ground floor 'lobes' contained a well some forty-six feet deep, which meant that the Castle never ran short of fresh water. The Tower had a flat roof with a central platform which held the chimneys and a flagpole. All the outer walls of the Tower featured arrow slits, gunports, and garderobe chutes. The main building of the Castle was only two storeys high, but held within its confines a court of justice, a prison, a mint, and the extensive royal apartments. 

Across the river lay the cathedral, known more commonly as Ambresden Minster. Destroyed in the city-wide fire that had ravaged almost every building some five hundred years earlier, the older and smaller abbey church had been rebuilt on a far grander scale. At five hundred feet long and one hundred feet wide, it was the largest Cathedral in the kingdom of Hentone, and its central tower, at nearly two hundred feet high, was only a fraction shorter than the Great Tower of the Castle across the river. There were one hundred and seventeen windows within the Minster's walls, the majority of which featured stained glass pictures of a mediaeval artisan's interpretation of religious life at the time. These days, the Minster was the home of academics rather than a religious order, the finances of the latter having suffered badly in the chaos that had followed in the wake of the Mage Wars. 

The city itself was encircled by tall limestone walls which stood on high grass banks and ran for more than two miles around its outskirts, with looming gates of iron at the four points of the compass. Each gateway featured a barbican, a long, walled enclosure which stretched outwards from the gateway like a roofless tunnel. The gateways had taller battlements than the walls in which they stood and were topped with strange, rather threatening, stone figures which looked as if they might crash down on the heads of unsuspecting passers-by. 

Once within the walls, the city streets were largely narrow, winding and cobbled, making them rather uncomfortable to walk on, but they were well maintained and clean, with gutters running down on both sides. There was a wide variety of shops, and a thriving market in the central marketplace, and very little in the way of poverty to be seen until one got to the outskirts of the city, where the dwellings were less grand and less well maintained.

Arriving at Ambresden Castle five days after leaving Hultsford Castle, Olivia's party was met in the outer courtyard by the Queen's senior Steward, Captain Buchanan. He greeted them courteously, ordered their horses to be stabled, then turned and led the way inside.

Olivia had never had occasion to meet Queen Tomrys before since mages had little to do with the monarchy, so she felt a good deal of curiosity as she and her friends, with Captain Tanner bringing up the rear, were led by the Steward through the oak-panelled corridors of the Castle to the Audience Chamber.

Finally they reached a set of double doors outside of which two men in the Queen's green and gold livery were standing guard, their pikestaffs held at an angle so that they formed a large X in front of the doors.

The Steward gave the guards a nod, and they straightened their weapons with a loud clash, which seemed to serve as a signal of their arrival, because the doors opened inwards, a footman on either side pulling the heavy oak doors open with apparent ease. The Steward led the five companions down the length of the room which was, fortunately, not as long as Olivia had anticipated it would be. Reaching the dais at the end of the room, he bowed low before the carved oak throne on which Queen Tomrys sat, then introduced each person in turn, and they bowed or curtsied as appropriate. 

Queen Tomrys was a very regal figure, dressed in a rich royal purple gown of heavy silk with a circlet of gold and precious jewels set atop her elaborately braided auburn hair. She was sixty-five but with her unlined face, looked two decades younger, apart from her eyes, which held an expression of wisdom and experience.

"Lady Olivia, we believe Captain Tanner and Lord Valar have explained matters to you?"

"Yes, your Majesty. General Mallory has set himself up in opposition of your claim to the throne of Hentone, and he has enlisted the aid of an as-yet-unbonded mage named Vesper, who, it is claimed, knows a spell which, in conjunction with a certain ancient ring, will allow mages to successfully procreate." She stared up at the haughty face above her as she continued, "You and Lord Valar propose to send myself, my familiar and our two protégés, together with Captain Tanner, in search of this ring to prevent Mallory from siring a child on the mage."

"Your tone indicates you do not approve of this course of action," the Queen observed.

"No, your Majesty. In fact, I consider it to be a fool's errand." Olivia knew that she was taking a risk in being so forthright with the Queen, but she believed Tomrys would value honesty. 

"Nevertheless, we wish you to follow this course of action: retrieve the ring and take it to Lord Valar, who will dispose of it on our behalf. We will, of course, provide funds for the journey. We wish you to add one more person to your company, our Personal Secretary, Rene Mathis."

Olivia blinked, wondering why the Queen would send her Personal Secretary of all people on this trip. She nodded her acceptance, however, then curtsied when the Queen gestured to the Steward to see them out.

Outside the Audience Chamber they stopped when a man of about forty-five with iron grey hair and dark eyes stepped away from the wall against which he'd been lounging and approached.

"Lady Olivia? I am Rene Mathis, Queen Tomrys' Private Secretary."

"Good day Mr Mathis." Olivia offered her hand, which he bowed over, then asked, "I presume that you are ready to set out immediately?"

"Yes, my lady. My bags are packed, and my horse is saddled and waiting outside."

"Then I suggest we do not waste any time in setting forth." She set off along the corridor, aware of James at her elbow, fighting to keep a grin off his face. She knew she had been at her most haughty with this Mathis, but she disliked being lied to, even by the Queen: Rene Mathis, whatever he might say, was no more a Secretary than she was. She suspected, in fact, that he was one of the Queen's top Intelligence men: he had a certain wariness in his eyes which she felt belonged to a man who spent his life watching others and mistrusting everyone. For now, however, she would do her best to treat him as if he was all he claimed to be, and she would certainly not mention her suspicions to anyone except James. 

Reaching the stable courtyard, the party of six mounted their horses and set out on their long journey north and east.

007-007-007

"Are you enjoying your new bedwarmer?" Miriel asked Mallory as he slipped the long slinky red dress she wore from her shoulders, allowing it to pool at her feet and reveal her naked body.

Mallory pulled a face. "I shall be glad to get her with child so I don't have to fuck her again," he said. "She keeps asking me when she can summon a familiar."

"I trust you've made it clear to her that that won't happen before you've acquired the ring and she's given you a child?" Miriel ran her hand down his hard member as she spoke, then squeezed his balls tightly.

"Of course," he answered, his breathing becoming quicker and more ragged.

"Good." Keeping a tight hold on his member, she backed him up to the bed, then gave him a sharp shove so that he fell backwards across the bed. She climbed up after him, straddling his thighs. "So, is she any good, your Vesper?"

Mallory shook his head, then moaned as she guided him inside her hot core. "I – Oh – " He broke off as Miriel tightened her muscles abruptly around him. "I thought it would be fun, having a virgin, teaching her – "

"Corrupting her," put in Miriel, who had begun to ride Mallory hard.

"But I find I prefer a woman with plenty of experience," finished Mallory. He was clinging to her hips and, had anyone been watching, they would have had no doubt that it was the familiar who was in charge of their intimacy and, in fact, of every aspect of their relationship. For all that Mallory was a General with considerable experience of campaigning, he had been completely outmanoeuvred from the outset, he just hadn't realised it yet.

"Does Lord Valar know you fuck other men?" Mallory asked a little later, when Miriel had satisfied herself for the time being.

She snorted. "He hasn't a clue, the old fool. It wouldn't even occur to him to suspect me, because he holds the bond between mage and familiar as sacred, until death."

Mallory grunted as she lifted herself off him, then sprawled wantonly across the silk sheets of his bed. 

"What about Mistress – " He paused, trying to recall the unfamiliar name. 

"Elfennol?" Mallory nodded, and Miriel snorted again. "Not likely. That raddled old whore never concerns herself with what goes on in the human realm unless someone brings it to her attention. All _she_ cares about is consolidating her power base, which she does by fucking as many Elementals as'll have her."

Mallory frowned. "Can Elementals fuck each other?" he asked curiously.

"Well, it's called 'mingling', but it amounts to the same thing." She pouted up at Mallory as he sat up. "She had Lady Olivia's familiar, you know, before he was bonded to her. I wonder if her high-and-mightiness knows that?" Her tone was sharp with resentment and bitterness. "Where are you going?" she asked abruptly as Mallory got off the bed.

"To piss," Mallory answered shortly. For all he enjoyed fucking Miriel, he did find her incessant hatred of Olivia Mansfield rather wearing.

When he returned to his bedroom a few minutes later, he found Miriel standing beside the bed, a large black leather replica cock jutting from between her thighs, and he felt his heart sink slightly. While he was certainly no stranger to getting arse-fucked (he was a career soldier after all), Miriel usually only initiated this act when she was feeling particularly vicious. If he tried to object, she would remind him of how much he owed to her for his current position, and, as he'd already had this argument with her twice, he knew there was no point in arguing further.

She looked him up and down as he crossed the room towards her, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Come on, darling, let me fuck you."

Mallory couldn't help thinking that in her mouth, 'darling' sounded more like an insult than a term of endearment. 

After Miriel had gone, Mallory took a hot bath, trying to wash away the unclean feeling that lingered in his mind. When he emerged from his dressing room, he pulled on some clean clothes, then made his way downstairs to the library, where he knew he'd find Vesper sitting in her usual spot at a desk near the window, poring over a dusty-looking volume.

The young woman looked up at his approach, her expression wary, and it occurred to him abruptly that she was completely out of her depth, and that what he and Miriel were doing to her was unfair on her. Her frowned at the thought, then squashed it. What he and Miriel were doing was for the greater good and everyone, including Vesper, would realise that eventually.

"Good evening, Vesper."

"Good evening."

What are you reading?" he asked abruptly.

"A history of the Mage Wars, well, the first volume."

"Sounds damnably dull," Mallory said dismissively. 

"Oh, but it's not, it's really quite fascinating," Vesper began, her expression not only growing animated but ardent.

"I'm sure it must be, to a mage with no experience," he drawled, and hid a smile of satisfaction when she flinched and clamped her lips closed. "Anyway, it's time for dinner. I hope you've ordered something decent from cook?"

"Yes, sir." She closed the book and returned it to the shelves, then followed him dutifully from the library to the dining room.

Vesper ate sparingly, in stark contrast to her husband, a man whom she had grown to despise in the two weeks since their so-called marriage. She deduced that Miriel had visited again today, having noticed that Mallory always gorged himself on meat and wine when the familiar had paid a visit. Vesper supposed he needed the food to give him extra energy since joining with a non-mage would not prevent the Elemental from drawing on Mallory's energy, even though he was not bonded to her. 

Vesper had been making good use of her time in the library, reasoning that she had to learn about her magic and power somehow, and since she was both unbonded and lacking in a mentor, reading books was the only way to find out what she didn't know. Until she'd been brought to Ceann Tor by Miriel and half a dozen of Mallory's men, she hadn't realised how great her ignorance was, but now that she knew, she was determined to rectify the situation as best she could.

One of the things she had learned was that joining with a non-mage (or a non-Elemental) was, if not actually taboo, then certainly frowned upon since the Elemental (or mage) would still draw on that person's energy, but because they were not bonded through their Elemental magics, the flow of energy was entirely one way and, if continued long enough, could kill the non-mage by depleting their energy to such an extent that they would never recover. 

Vesper had wondered whether to tell Mallory of this discovery that she'd made, since she was fairly certain that Miriel wouldn't have bothered to mention it to him. In the end, she'd decided that she didn't owe him any favours, and that she would keep the information to herself in the hope of using it as a bargaining chip to allow her to escape from this nightmare.

Vesper finished her meal, then slipped away, leaving Mallory to drink and exchange bawdy stories with his senior officers. Since Miriel had visited him today, Vesper knew that she wouldn't be forced to endure a conjugal visit from him tonight, which was a huge relief. She found the General a distasteful bed companion, not only because he wasn't an Elemental, her bonded familiar, but because he showed her no affection, and had a tendency to become brutal if she failed to please him as he demanded.

So far he had not insisted that she let him take her up the arse, but she was sure it would only be a matter of time, and the prospect frightened her: he hurt her enough when he joined with her in the usual fashion, since he never bothered to ensure she was adequately prepared to take his member. Of course, she hadn't known of such practices before being bedded by the General; when her mother had explained the facts of life to her (before Vesper had discovered she was a mage), no mention had been made of any such 'abnormal' (as she was sure her mother would consider it) behaviour. Vesper had made the discovery purely accidentally, after finding the General fucking one of the young Privates up the arse in the summerhouse where she had gone to escape from the Manor House. She'd heard Mallory's grunts before she'd quite reached the summerhouse, so she'd crept closer and watched in horrified fascination as Mallory's thick member had plunged in and out of the Private's arse while the boy furiously tugged one-handed at his own member. The boy had spent himself copiously across the tiled floor, but the General had jerked his member from the boy's arse, turned him around and forced him onto his knees so that he could pour his seed down the boy's throat.

Since then she had established which of the Privates and Sergeants he liked to fuck in this way, and minimised her contact with them consequently, reasoning that these were undoubtedly Mallory's particular favourites. Instead, Vesper had made a point of trying to befriend those young men whom the General seemed to despise, hoping in this way to gain an ally or two who would help her to break free of Mallory's influence.

What she most wanted was to send a message to Lord Valar to tell him about his familiar's treachery, but so far she didn't feel sufficiently confident of anyone's trustworthiness to risk sending such a message, nor did she know how she might word the message in such a way that Lord Valar would take it seriously.

As Vesper climbed the stairs to her room after spending a couple more instructive hours in the library, she wished she knew how Lady Olivia's quest was going. If she could get a message to Lady Olivia, Vesper felt sure the mage would believe that she was nothing but a pawn in the machinations of Miriel and General Mallory, and would assist her in some way. Ideally, she would like Lady Olivia to come and rescue her, preferably while also setting her familiar onto the General, as a wolf or a dragon (she never used to be so bloodthirsty, but life with the General had changed her). But Vesper knew that such an outcome was unlikely, however much she longed for the support of a friendly person.

007-007-007

"What I don't understand," said Eve, as she, Felix, Tanner and Mathis dined with Olivia and James, "is how Mallory managed to find an unbonded mage to become his wife."

"I had wondered about that also," Mathis said thoughtfully.

"That's easy to explain," Olivia answered, picking up her wineglass. She drank some, then realised that everyone, except James, was looking at her expectantly. She bit back a sigh and explained, "Someone in Hultsford Castle must have tipped off Mallory."

"Why Hultsford Castle?" asked Tanner.

"Because only Lord Valar and his immediate staff know when a mage has come into their powers."

"How?" asked Mathis, clearly intrigued.

Olivia felt James' hand squeeze her knee under the table and knew he was silently counselling her to have patience with the outsiders. She inhaled slowly, then leaned back in her chair, twirling her wineglass to and fro by the stem, and asked, "How much do you know about Magekind?"

Tanner shook his head. "Very little I'm afraid, my lady. Mages and the military only rarely mix, obviously."

"I have had a few dealings with them," admitted Mathis, "but only at a superficial level."

"Then I will endeavour to explain in plain language, layman's terms, if you will." She felt James give her knee a second squeeze, and knew that if she looked at him, he'd be smiling encouragingly at her, but she kept her attention on Tanner and Mathis instead.

"All mages and their familiars are linked via the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Those four elements generally remain in balance, except when, for example, there's a forest fire or an earthquake, a tornado or a tsunami. All those natural phenomena will affect the balance of the elements in the local area, and both mages and familiars will be able to sense those imbalances and, where possible, will do their best to restore the balance again. Are you with me so far?"

Tanner nodded and Mathis gave her a half smile, "Perfectly clear, my lady."

"When a mage comes into their powers, it also upsets the balance of the elements, but in a far more restrained way than those natural phenomena I mentioned. Most mages come into their powers at puberty, and it's not via a violent disturbance, but a subtle – yet still noticeable to us – increase in the Elemental power and a flux in the Elemental energy on which we constantly draw. Any mage sensing such a shift in the balance of Elemental energy reports the matter to Lord Valar at Hultsford Castle, then he or she, together with their familiar, will do a spell to locate the new mage and approach them to offer help and reassurance, both to the new mage and to their family. The new mage's name, location, and Elemental powers are then reported back to Lord Valar and one of the local mages, usually the person who first approached the new mage, will offer to mentor the new mage, so that he or she can learn to understand and grow into their new powers."

Olivia paused to drink some more wine, before continuing, "Once the new mage has bonded with an Elemental who becomes their familiar, the familiar of the established mage takes on the role of mentor to the newly bonded familiar."

"So you see Mr Mathis, Captain Tanner, someone at Hultsford Castle is the most likely person to have passed on the information concerning Vesper Lynd to General Mallory, who then sent someone to fetch Vesper to him at Ceann Tor," said James. 

The two men nodded their understanding. "Who do you suspect, my lady?" asked Mathis.

It did not surprise Olivia that it was Mathis who asked this question. "I'm afraid I don't know Lord Valar's close staff very well, Mr Mathis, so I would hesitate to suggest anyone."

He gave her a thoughtful look and she wondered if he guessed that she wasn't being entirely honest. There was one name which had sprung to mind immediately, once she had considered the matter of who had betrayed Vesper to Mallory, and although the person concerned had done nothing overt to confirm her suspicions (despite certain recent changes in their behaviour) when she had been at Hultsford Castle a few days ago, Olivia still considered that person the most probable betrayer.

"I don't know about anyone else," said Eve brightly, breaking into the silence, "but I am ready for my bed."

"I think it would be a good idea if we all got an early night," James said, lifting an eyebrow as he looked at Tanner and Mathis.

Tanner nodded. "Since we'll be leaving aboard the _Sea Eagle_ on the morning tide, that seems like a sensible plan."

Everyone got to their feet, and goodnights were exchanged, then Eve and Felix led the way upstairs, closely followed by Olivia and James.

007-007-007

"Do you think Mathis believed you?" James asked Olivia once they reached their suite and she had set a Ward of Silence in place.

"That I couldn't guess who betrayed Vesper?" she asked. He nodded and she shook her head. "No. I think he knows I have my suspicions about someone in particular."

"Will you tell him you think it's Miriel?"

"No. This is a matter for mages and Elementals, not outsiders. I've no idea how Valar will take it, assuming we can find some proof of Miriel's guilt." 

James stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Let's not worry about it now," he said softly. "We've got more than enough on our plates with this damn quest thing."

Olivia slid her arms around his torso, and he immediately embraced her fully. "You're right," she said quietly. "Thank you."

He kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold on her. "Any time. Now, why don't you let me run you a warm bath, then give you a back rub? Ease some of the tension I can feel knotting up your muscles."

She tilted her head back and looked up at him, and he saw such warmth and love shining in her blue eyes that he ducked his head to kiss her softly and tenderly on the mouth. When he released her, she gave him a dopey sort of smile, before saying, "A bath and a back rub?"

He grinned back at her. "Yes."

"That sounds quite perfect."

"Good. Why don't you get undressed and I'll sort out the bath?"

"Thank you, James." 

He smiled, then moved through into the bathroom and began preparing a bath. When he returned to the bedroom he found Olivia clad in her warm white robe.

"Did you bring your bath oils?" he asked. She nodded and pointed to the case on the dressing table, so he picked it up and headed back to the bathroom. "Coming?"

She padded across the room and he went in to add a few drops of yellow oil to the warm water, and when Olivia came in she sniffed delicately, then said, "Jasmine."

"It is your favourite," he observed, smirking a little.

"Yours too." He nodded. "Are you joining me?"

"Would you like me to?"

She snorted. "That is a silly question."

He chuckled. "Very well." He held out a hand and she took it, slipping the robe from her body before stepping into the bath. "Let me just get rid of my clothes."

She raised an eyebrow as she sank down into the water. "Don't be too long."

"I won't." He stepped through into the bedroom, already unfastening his buttons as he went, and returned to the bathroom only a few moments later, stripped. "If you sit forward, I'll get in behind you, then I can wash your back for you," he suggested.

Olivia shuffled further down the bath and James climbed in behind her, relieved that there was sufficient room for his legs to rest outside hers. He grabbed the sponge and soap he'd set ready on the stool beside the bath, worked up a lather, then began washing Olivia's back. She uttered a soft groan as he drew the soapy sponge down her back, and he felt his member respond to a sound he usually associated with their joining.

He heard her chuckle, and ducked his head to nip at her right shoulder. "What's amusing you?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she asked and wriggled her bottom against his groin.

"Oi!" he protested. "You carry on like that and a back rub won't be all you'll get."

She turned her head, trying to look at him, and he leaned around. "Do you promise?" she asked, her voice low and sultry, and her eyes dark with desire.

"If that's what you want."

"It is."

"Then I promise." He clasped her chin gently and turned her head so that he could kiss her, wanting to seal the promise, even though it was hardly an earth-shattering one.

"Good." Her tone was full of satisfaction, which touched him. 

007-007-007

Half an hour later, Olivia was stretched out face down on the bed; James positioned himself with his knees either side of her thighs, and leaned down to begin massaging her neck and back. He was fully aroused after their shared bath, but he was determined that he would wait to join with her until after he had given her the back rub. He knew very well just how little confidence she had in their 'quest' to find this wretched ring; how little she trusted Mathis; and how she wasn't entirely sure of Captain Tanner, either, since he had been Mallory's right hand man before the General's bizarre marriage. 

He'd known Olivia quite long enough to know that mistrust of others was not her natural state of mind, and that their current situation was causing her physical as well as mental and emotional tension. Consequently, James felt it incumbent on him to keep his promises to her, even minor ones – not that he was in the habit of breaking promises, but he didn't want to add to Olivia's tension. Therefore it was important to him that she felt she could trust him absolutely, whether he was promising her something as trivial as a back rub before he joined with her, or something far more important. 

He worked his way from Olivia's neck to her shoulders, then down her back, shifting himself backwards on his knees as he reached the middle, then the lower part of her back. The whole process took a good half an hour, and when he'd finished he thought she might have fallen asleep, but a sleepy voice, muffled by the pillow beneath her face, asked, "Have you finished?"

"I have."

She turned her head and he leaned forward so she could see his face. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said sincerely, and leaned down to plant a rather chaste kiss on her mouth.

"Is that it?" she asked, pouting.

He chuckled. "Not by any means. But we don't have to do this now. If you'd rather sleep first, I won't mind at all."

She shook her head. "No, I want to join with you. I'm just not sure I can move." She smirked up at him. "I'm feeling rather limp right now."

"That's why I thought you might prefer to wait," he told her. "Do you want me to roll you over?"

"No, I think you should just lie on top of me."

"Very well." He shifted so that he was kneeling alongside her, then eased open her legs and slid his right hand up her inner thigh. She was already slick and warm when his hand slipped inside her, and she muffled a groan in the pillow as he touched her. It took very little effort on his part to bring her to a climax; he pushed her legs further apart, then knelt between them before lifting her hips up sufficiently to slide his member into her.

"James!" She gasped his name as her inner muscles clenched around him.

"Darling Olivia," he whispered, nuzzling the side of her neck. "My love. Dearheart." He nipped at her skin as he sheathed himself fully, then he slid his hands under her body to caress her breasts. It never ceased to amaze him that such a petite woman should have such ample breasts: they overflowed his hands, large as they were. 

He held her body to his as he began to thrust lightly; her body temperature began to rise and the Jasmine oil he'd used in the bath, and on her skin while massaging her, warmed as well, releasing its unmistakable scent. James felt his body responding in turn, his member growing harder as he continued to move inside her.

"Feels so good," she muttered.

"Yes it does," he agreed. He took his time about bringing her to a second climax, and himself to a first, wanting them both to savour the pleasure of the act. It was only after Olivia had climaxed again that his thrusts picked up speed, his body undulating over hers as he drove himself towards his own release.

"All right?" he asked softly as he lowered her back to the bed.

"Mmm-hmm." 

He chuckled softly, aware that she was half asleep now. "Go to sleep, love." He kissed the side of her neck, then shifted his body away from hers so he could lie beside her. He pulled up the sheet and blankets, tucking them into a cocoon.

"Thank you," Olivia whispered as she snuggled her body against his. She was asleep before he could respond.


	3. Chapter 3

Vesper watched in astonishment as a red kite landed on the windowsill of her bedroom, then stepped delicately through the open window. Instinctively she backed away and the bird flew down into the room, then she stared in amazement as the bird transformed into an attractive woman with strawberry blonde hair who was about ten years older than Vesper.

"Do you mind?" the woman asked, gesturing at her nakedness.

Vesper blushed deeply, then hurried into her dressing room to fetch a robe; the other woman was only slightly taller than herself, so the robe ought to fit.

"Thank you." She pulled the robe on; her manner was dignified but Vesper thought she detected a hint of amusement in the quirk of her lips.

"I'm Deborah, familiar to Lord Maximillian, one of the Mage Elders at Hultsford Castle. And you are Vesper, I presume?"

Vesper nodded, wondering worriedly if the Mage Elders had decided to punish her for her marriage to General Mallory. "C-can I offer y-you any r-refreshment?"

The Elemental frowned and Vesper hoped she hadn't violated some protocol of which she was unaware.

"Do you normally stutter?" Deborah asked, and Vesper shook her head. The familiar stepped forward and gently put a hand on her wrist. "It's okay, Vesper, you're not in any trouble. In fact, Lord Maximillian and I are here to help you."

"You are?" Vesper asked, swallowing and trying not to hope too hard.

"We are. Maximillian is in the woods on the edge of the property. Why don't you change into something more suitable for walking and then I'll meet you outside?"

Vesper nodded, wishing she didn't feel so tongue-tied, and hurried back into the dressing room. She changed into the riding habit which Mallory had had made for her, shedding the slinky red dress that he'd insisted she wore after he'd given it to her the night before. She was glad that he had gone off to a meeting with various dignitaries at the Town Hall today; he'd been very bad-tempered for the past two days, ever since Miriel had told him that she was going to have to accompany Lord Valar to visit Queen Tomrys in Ambresden. Mallory had insisted on his conjugal rights following Miriel's departure, and Vesper had submitted because it was less painful than trying to fight him.

When she returned, Deborah shed the robe, then transformed back into the red kite and flew through the window. Vesper quickly made her way downstairs, through the house and out into the grounds. She walked unhurriedly towards the woods, and making her way in amongst the trees, she saw Deborah coming to meet her, now dressed in a dark green riding habit with a red and orange trim.

Deborah took her hand and gently pulled it through her arm as she led the way into the woods until they reached a clearing where a much older man was standing beside two tethered horses. 

"Mistress Vesper," he said solemnly, his rich, deep voice making her quiver. "I am Lord Maximillian. I am glad to meet you."

He held out his hand and Vesper took it, dropping him a curtsey. He was dressed in a deep blue riding habit with a white trim, and wore a hat with a feather in it. This he doffed before taking Vesper's hand and kissing the back of it, and she saw he was bald.

"Good morning, sir," she said, relieved that she managed to get the words out without stuttering again, as she had with Deborah.

"Call me Max," he said, smiling warmly at her. "Come and be seated, my dear, and we will explain to you how we're going to help you in your predicament."

She allowed him to lead her across to where a picnic blanket had been laid on the grass, and sat down on his right while Deborah sat on his left.

"Tea?" he asked, and she nodded, then watched as Deborah poured water from a leather water bottle into a pot which she set on a tripod over a heap of kindling, then set fire to the kindling with a murmur and a flick of her fingers. 

"You're a Fire Elemental?" Vesper asked the older woman.

"I am, and Max is a Water Mage."

"And you're a Fire Mage," Max observed.

"Yes."

"Well, I should tell you know that we intend to help you to prepare for the Rite of Summoning, so that you can summon a familiar."

"But – " began Vesper, then cut off her own protest. 

"Don't worry about General Mallory, my dear," Max said, patting her hand. "He won't be any the wiser. Unlike Mages and Elementals, he cannot tell whether you're bonded or not. And you need the support, you need someone who's entirely on your side, and a familiar is exactly the person to take that role."

Vesper hardly knew what to say: on the one hand, the idea of finally having a familiar of her own was both a relief and a thrilling thought, on the other, she was terrified of what Mallory, or Miriel for that matter, would do if they found out.

Deborah seemed to know what she was thinking, because she reached across and patted Vesper's other hand. "Miriel and Mallory will simply have to accept it as a fait accompli, once you're bonded, unless they want to risk the wrath of the Council of Elders and the Council of Elementals, which I cannot imagine they will want. It was the leader of the Council of Elementals, Mistress Elfennol, who suggested this was the best help we could give you. We could, of course, take you away from Mallory, and we did consider it, but we'd rather you remained here because then you can keep us apprised of what Mallory and Miriel are doing. But we agreed that we couldn't expect you do this alone, so we'll help you to prepare for the Rite of Summoning, and then you'll feel stronger and braver with the support of a familiar."

"Very well." Vesper swallowed. "Thank you." She could feel tears pricking at her eyelids and desperately hoped that she wasn't going to cry, because that would be very embarrassing.

Deborah smiled at her, then turned her attention to making the tea, which they drank while Max and Deborah explained to Vesper exactly what the Rite of Summoning would entail, how she should prepare herself for it, and what she could expect to happen once an Elemental became her familiar. As they talked, she tried to imagine joining with an Elemental, but the only images in her head were of Mallory fucking her roughly, his body hard and his grasp on her tight as he took his pleasure.

"Vesper." Deborah's soft voice cut into her thoughts and after blinking hard, she lifted her head. "However Mallory's treated you, and I don't imagine it's terribly well, you can be sure that your familiar will treat you far differently. Try not to think too much about what Mallory has done to you, and instead think of what you and your familiar will do: you have the potential to achieve much with a familiar's support. Max and I will be remaining nearby, as well, and we will help you to learn more about your power and how to use it." 

Max shifted closer and put his arm around her shoulders. "You're not alone any more, Vesper. Remember that."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip and trying not to cry, but he cradled her head on his shoulder and said softly, "It's all right, don't be ashamed of your emotions, you've had a very tough time of it since you came into your powers, but things will only get better now."

Vesper began to weep, only vaguely aware of Deborah moving to sit close beside her, her hand rubbing her back soothingly. 

007-007-007

The crossing aboard the _Sea Eagle_ was swift and easy since the channel that lay between the Kingdom of Hentone and La Francia was calm and the wind good. Mathis had his suspicions about the reasons for that, but since he was no sailor he had no intention of complaining. He did notice that Olivia and Felix spent the entire crossing sitting as forward on the deck as they were able, and he recalled that they both had air and water powers.

Mathis chose to spend the crossing trying to get to know Captain Tanner better; although the young man seemed fairly reticent, Mathis knew ways of leading people into revealing more of themselves than they'd realised. 

"What do you make of our magical foursome, Captain?" he asked casually.

"Foursome?"

Mathis lifted an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with the word?"

Tanner frowned slightly. "Quartet seems more apt."

"Both words mean a group of four," Mathis observed. "Why the pedantry?"

"Have you ever seen a quartet – of musicians I mean – playing together?"

"I've attended a good many musical events in company with Queen Tomrys." _Which isn't_ , thought Mathis, _exactly the same thing._

"When a really good quartet plays together, they play in harmony, and their playing appears completely seamless. Each member of the quartet supports and encourages the others so that they will all do well. That's how I see Lady Olivia and her friends working together."

"Do you?" asked Mathis, rather amused by this unexpectedly poetic response.

"Yes." Tanner must have sensed Mathis' amusement because his frown returned.

"Of course, you have the advantage of me as I believe you saw them in action together during the battle of Ceann Tor?"

"I did. Both James and Eve came perilously close to losing their lives that day. James, in particular, was utterly selfless in his attempts to rout the Vihollisian invaders."

Mathis encouraged Tanner's recollections of that day, and as he listened, he couldn't help drawing the conclusion that the younger man had a hopeless crush on Lady Olivia's familiar. He was surprised since Tanner had a reputation of being a ladies' man, and Mathis now wondered if that was just protective colouring or if, perhaps, Tanner was one of those people who liked both men and women. The army had always seemed to him to be full of either men who only bedded other men, or men who only bedded women, although he recalled that the ex-General Mallory liked bedding both.

Mathis himself preferred women, and Olivia Mansfield was exactly the type of woman he most liked, but he knew that mages only ever bedded their familiars. He shifted carefully in his chair, aware that this line of thought was leading to him grow aroused, and forced his thoughts back onto their earlier path. He glanced over at Tanner and saw the young Captain was poring over a map of Azov Oblast, their ultimate destination. He leaned over the map as well and began a discussion with Tanner of the route they'd be following once they left the Transcontinental Express.

The _Sea Eagle_ made landfall in the early afternoon at Kergroise Harbour. This was an old port town which had been continually in use for the last six centuries, but little about it had changed, apart from the older timber buildings being rebuilt in stone. The actual town was on a headland, at the far side of which stood a watch-tower and lighthouse combined. The nearside of the headland, before one entered the town proper, consisted of a marketplace, many of the stalls selling a wide variety of fish, but others of which sold the very fine lace and lace products for which Kergroise was justly famous. The travellers briefly paused in the market to gather some supplies for the first part of their train journey before they made their way to the Gare Kergroise from where they would be catching the Transcontinental Express, which would take them almost all the way to Azov Oblast.

The Gare Kergroise was a disappointingly practical building, James felt, as he and Olivia led their party into the squat, red-brick building that was the starting point for the most famous train journey in the world. The station was full of people, noise, and the steam of arriving and departing locomotives, and James had to put his arm around Olivia and hold her close otherwise she would have been knocked off her feet.

They found their platform, and Tanner went to speak to the guard, who summoned a porter to help them aboard. Since the Transcontinental Express journey took five days, Tanner, who had been responsible for organising their trip, had booked three sleeping cars for their use. Olivia made it clear to him and Mathis that she and the others would be working on something magical during their journey, so they would probably only meet up for dinner each evening. Both Tanner and Mathis seemed to take the news stoically, James noticed, and they made their way to their sleeping cars with mutters of "See you later". 

The two mages and their familiars, by mutual consent, had lunch in James and Olivia's sleeping car before they began to work on the mind contact spell. The first hour was spent in going over the nuts and bolts of the spell so far, with Olivia doing most of the talking. Then they discussed the ways in which they might be able to implement the suggestions Felix had made previously, and James moved to sit beside Eve so that Felix could work with Olivia at one end of the sleeping car, while he worked with Eve at the other.

They had been working for half an hour when James heard Olivia scolding Felix in mild tones, "Come on Felix, you're not concentrating properly. This won't work unless you focus your power together with mine."

James saw her rub a hand over her face, an unusually weary expression in her eyes. 

"I know you can do better than this, Felix, because I've seen you working with Eve. So what's wrong?" Olivia asked.

Felix shook his head, apologised, and promised to do better, and James turned his attention back to Eve, who was perfecting the art of warming the moisture in the air by only a few degrees.

Forty-five minutes later James heard a crack from the other end of the carriage, and looked up at the sound of a simultaneous cry of shock in time to see Olivia toppling off her chair, which she had previously drawn up alongside the bunk on which Felix was sitting.

James leaped across the carriage, reaching Olivia at almost the same time that she rasped out a few words to create a cushion of air to keep her from banging her head on the floor.

"Olivia! Goddess, what happened?" demanded James.

"I'm sorry, James," Felix said, sounding horrified, "my powers surged, and the chair leg snapped."

"Go and take a break with Eve," James said, his tone sharper than usual. "I'll come and get you when we're ready to work together again."

The younger man's darker skin took on a rusty hue as he flushed with shame. He got to his feet unsteadily and Eve, who had joined James at Olivia's side, turned to go with Felix, but James put a hand on her arm and spoke low in her ear, "Perhaps the two of you should join, help him get his power back under his control again."

She gave an embarrassed nod, then went out with Felix, and James turned to Olivia, who'd regained her feet by this time, and embraced her.

"Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. "What happened?"

"As Felix said, he lost control of his power, and it surged back at me, taking me by surprise because it happened so fast."

James kissed the top of her head. "Sit on the bunk while I fix the chair," he said, and she pulled herself out of his embrace, then sat down. He knelt on the floor and picked up the broken chair leg in his left hand, then set the chair on its side, broken side uppermost. He held the stump of wood against the break on the chair, then placed his right hand over the join and muttered a few words of power. Green light outlined his hand momentarily, then spread up and down the length of the chair leg; taking away his hand, he looked closely at the spot where the break had occurred, then turned the chair right side up and sat on it. He leaned forward and took Olivia's hands in his own. 

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Of course." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm more concerned about Felix, to be honest. It's not like him to be so lacking in focus." 

"Do you have any idea why he couldn't keep his powers focused?" asked James. He'd worked with Felix, and with Felix and Olivia, and with Felix and Eve, on various things, and the young familiar usually had no such trouble.

"Well, one thought did occur to me," she said.

"What?" 

"You can't guess?"

James frowned at her. "No, should I be able to?"

She gave him a half smile. "You remember that conversation we had about working together? When we were riding to Hultsford Castle for Eve and Felix's ceremony?"

His frowned deepened, then his face cleared. "You're not telling me Felix thinks I'll do something nasty to him if he works with you?"

"No, I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is that he desires to join with me, and that was distracting him."

James unconsciously tightened his grip on Olivia's hands, so surprised was he by her remark. "But that's not necessary," he said gruffly.

"No, it's not," she agreed. She drew his attention to his grasp on her hands and he released them with a muttered apology.

He sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. "What are we going to do?"

"We've only two choices: either I don't try to work with Felix unless you or Eve are also working with us, or Felix and I join."

He stared at her wonderingly; her tone was so matter-of-fact that he couldn't tell whether she thought it was a good idea or not. She looked up at him, and he realised she was waiting for his reaction.

"I don't know what to say," he told her. "I think I need to think about this, maybe even sleep on it."

She nodded. "Think, also, about you and Eve joining," she said. "The only sure way to ensure that no one feels left out, or jealous, is if we all share the experience."

He blinked, then nodded. "Very well."

"Come here." She patted the bunk beside her, and he moved off the chair and sat beside her. 

He was surprised when she put a hand to his crotch. "What – ?" he began, then groaned as she slid her hand the length of his member. "Goddess."

"You're not aroused by the idea of joining with Eve, then?" she asked. "Or is it the idea of Felix joining with me that puts you off?"

"I – Oh – " He felt his member swelling and stiffening as she continued to stroke him, and he struggled to answer. "I'm not put off by the thought of you and Felix joining, provided that Eve and I can watch."

"Mmm." She leaned in to kiss him, and he put his hand to the back of her head to hold her steady as he returned the kiss hungrily.

007-007-007

An hour later, James knocked on the door of Eve and Felix's sleeping car, and heard Eve call out a response. He opened the door and looked in to see the pair seated side by side on the bunk, a book open in Felix's lap.

"Olivia and I have something we want to discuss with you," he told them.

"Is Olivia all right?" Felix asked as they got to their feet.

"Yes, she's fine."

"Good."

Olivia sat on the bunk and at a gesture, Eve and Felix took a seat too. "James and I have talked, and we believe we know the reason for Felix's difficulty in focusing his powers earlier. We also believe we can resolve that issue, provided you both are also in favour of the proposed solution."

"What do you mean?" asked Eve.

"I suggest that Felix and I join, and also that you and James join," Olivia said simply. "That will establish a greater level of trust between the four of us, and allow us to work together without risking distractions that cause a loss of concentration." The younger couple looked stunned, James thought, which wasn't terribly surprising. "We also propose that all four of us are present while Felix and I join, or you and James join. This should avoid any jealousy arising."

"I don't know what to say," Eve said.

"Well, don't say anything yet," James said. "Talk it over, the two of you, and sleep on it tonight, then we'll make a joint decision in the morning."

"I feel as if this is all my fault," Felix muttered.

"Cheer up, Felix, it could be far worse." James clapped the young familiar on the shoulder and grinned at him. "Why don't we go and join Mathis and Tanner for dinner, then have an early night, and we can reconvene here for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Very well." Felix got to his feet, then held out his hand to Eve, while James helped Olivia up from the bunk. The four of them made their way down the swaying train corridor until they reached the restaurant car, where Eve located the table they were sharing with Tanner and Mathis.

The two men arrived a short time afterwards, and they made general conversation before and during dinner, before they departed to their respective sleeping cars for the night.

007-007-007

The next morning, breakfast in James and Olivia's sleeping car was a subdued affair, until Olivia finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer and asked, "Did you come to a decision?"

Felix and Eve exchanged a glance, then he said, "Yes we did. We are prepared to give this a go, if you think it will help."

"I think it will," Olivia said.

"If anyone feels uncomfortable at any time, however, you only have to say the word, and we'll stop," James added. "No one's going to be coerced into this, because that would just defeat the object. We want to achieve greater focus between us, not tension or fear."

They finished their meal and cleared away, then James went to the small brazier in the corner of the sleeping car and lit it with a word of power before closing the curtains; meanwhile Olivia set a Ward of Silence on the carriage.

"I suggest we all get undressed," she told them. "Then we shall be starting from the same place. Felix, if you're willing, I think we should join first, while Eve and James watch us, then we'll swap places." She was being as matter-of-fact as she could, trying to treat this as perfectly normal in order to dispel any lingering awkwardness.

"I think I should undress you," James said, "and Eve should undress Felix, then vice versa."

"Very well." Olivia smiled at the younger couple, then turned to her familiar. She felt as if she had a cage full of butterflies trapped in her stomach, but at the same time, she was excited about what they were going to do, because she was curious to know what effect it would have on their work together.

James kissed her as he began unbuttoning her dress, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Eve kissing Felix, and she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the sensations caused by James' hands and mouth on her body.

Once they were all naked, Olivia took Felix's hand and led him to the bunk, while James and Eve sat on two of the chairs facing them. Both familiars were already aroused, which Olivia considered a good sign since it meant they weren't reluctant.

Olivia lay on the bunk, then asked Felix to lie beside her so that she could begin exploring the differences between his body and James'. She kissed and caressed her way around his body, noticing that he was leaner than James, but equally as well-muscled. She encouraged Felix to touch her in return, and as his lips and fingers moved over her skin, she felt herself growing aroused, her nipples tightening, and heat and moisture pooling between her thighs. She reached for his member, which was slightly thicker than James' but not quite as long, and guided him into her.

The sensation of his penetration was almost lost in the rush of Felix's power entering her at the same time; the fact that Felix was a water and air Elemental, just as she was a water and air mage, meant it was a different sensation to when James joined with her since his powers opposed but balanced hers, whereas Felix's matched and increased her own.

He'd barely sheathed himself inside her before Olivia's back was arching up off the bed as a climax flooded her body and she felt as if she had been lifted up on a wave that rose higher and higher until it broke, leaving her gasping on the shore. Felix continued to move, but Olivia was helpless to encourage him towards his own climax, so overwhelmed was she by her own.

To her relief, he reached his own peak fairly quickly, then he slumped sideways off her body, gasping for breath much as she still was.

"Are you all right?" James asked, and Olivia became aware that he was crouched beside the bed, his hand over her ribs.

"Yes," she gasped, "just – a bit – overwhelmed." She brought her breathing under control, then gestured for James to help her to sit up, before assisting Felix to do the same. "Joining with someone who shares your elemental powers, instead of opposing them, is a strange sensation – but not unpleasant."

James helped them both off the bed to sit on the chairs, then he turned to Eve. "Ready?"

She nodded and he guided her down onto the bed, then lay beside her and, as Olivia had done, he began exploring her body with his hands and mouth, noticing the ways in which her scent and taste differed from Olivia's since she was a fire and earth mage, not an air and water one.

Once he sensed Eve was ready for him, he moved his body over hers and began to slide inside her; he quickly realised what Olivia had meant when she said that joining with Felix had been overwhelming. As Eve's power flowed into him with his penetration it felt as if his skin was burning, and fire poured through his veins. He gasped at the sensation, and was vaguely aware of Eve moaning beneath him. He realised his eyes were screwed shut and he forced them open to check that she was okay: he saw that her face was flushed and beads of sweat lay in a line along her brow, dampening her hair. 

James found himself thrusting wildly as Eve clutched at his body, then she screamed her release and he grunted as he felt his own climax hit; all he could think of was molten lava pouring down the side of a volcano as he emptied himself into Eve. Then he became aware of a blessed coolness and realised that Olivia's hand was on his back, while Felix was holding Eve's arm, helping them both to cool down.

"Goddess!" gasped James.

"You see what I mean?" Olivia asked quietly. 

"Yes." He allowed her to help him to sit up, and was aware of Felix assisting Eve. "Are you all right?" he asked her, and she nodded, giving him a crooked smile.

"That was far more powerful than I expected," Eve said.

He nodded his agreement. "I'm not sure we should do that too often," he said, "I felt as if I was going to spontaneously combust."

Eve agreed, and Felix observed, "I thought I might drown, which is irrational – "

"Well, not entirely," Olivia said. "I felt much the same. Perhaps this is why mages and familiars pair across the four elements, instead of matching to the same two. Our powers are balanced as we are, but perhaps they would become dangerously unbalanced otherwise."

James nodded. "You're probably right, but I wonder how it would be if three of us joined?"

"Well, there's only way we can find out," Felix said, grinning.

Olivia looked at Eve, who also grinned, then at James, who nodded. "I say we try it. I don't think it'll be as risky as what we just tried."

"Very well." Olivia knew she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to how their powers would balance or not if three of them joined at once. She suggested that Eve join with James and Felix first, then she would join with them afterwards, and the others agreed so she moved to sit on a chair and settled down to watch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fantasy cast Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vesper's familiar, Gabriel.

Lord Maximillian and Deborah spent three days in helping Vesper to prepare herself for the Rite of Summoning. She had been worried about making excuses to spend all day out of the house, but Mallory had had to go away shortly after the meeting at the Town Hall to deal with some 'trouble makers', as he termed them, who were causing problems in a village on the far boundary of the grazing land that was common to Ceann Tor. He had told her that he'd be away for at least four days, and Vesper had merely thought this a fortuitous coincidence until Max told her that he and Deborah had organised the whole situation in order to ensure they had enough time to help her to prepare to summon a familiar.

"We know a Water mage out there who, like most of the folk in this area, hates Mallory for what he's doing, so she was only too happy to agree to help when Deborah flew up there to speak to her and her familiar," Max had told Vesper cheerfully.

"By the time Mallory returns, he'll have lost much of his power over you," Deborah had added.

"Indeed. But it would be best if you keep the knowledge that you're bonded from him for as long as possible," Max had said.

"So you can find out what Mallory and Miriel are planning?" Vesper had asked.

"Well, we're hoping that you and your familiar will help us to find that out," Deborah had told her. "Part of the reason for not telling them that you're bonded is so that your familiar can eavesdrop on their conversations."

Vesper had nodded at this. "I understand."

Now, Max asked, "Have you memorised the Rite of Summoning?"

"I have."

"Good. I think we'll let you carry it out this evening then, in case Mallory returns tomorrow."

"We'll do it here," Deborah told her, gesturing at the clearing in the woods where they sat, and where they'd been meeting in Mallory's absence.

Vesper nodded, then swallowed the lump in her throat. "I can't thank you – " she began, but Max interrupted her,

"You don't have to thank us," he told her. "What we're doing is no more than would normally have been done, albeit more clandestinely than usual, for any newly empowered mage. I've explained that. I'm just sorry you had to cope on your own for so long."

"We should not have waited for Mistress Elfennol's prompting before coming to help you," Deborah added.

"No, we shouldn't," agreed Max. "I am ashamed that we accepted Valar's judgement to leave you to your fate. That was ill-done, and I shall tell him so once this business with Mallory has been dealt with."

"No mage, especially one who has only just come into their powers, should be treated in such a cavalier fashion," Deborah said, spots of colour appearing on her cheeks.

"Once Mallory is dealt with, I hope you will consider settling near Hultsford Castle, if not within its walls," Max said. "We two would like to continue mentoring you, and to take on the mentoring of your new familiar."

"Is that allowed?" Vesper asked. "I thought that only the Elder Mages and their familiars lived at Hultsford Castle?"

Max chuckled briefly. "Not at all. Lady Olivia, who is one of the Elder Mages, refuses to live there at all. She has her own manor, Walden Hall, and an extensive estate, which is about three days ride from Hultsford Castle."

"And there are a handful of mages and their familiars who are not Elders, who choose to live at the Castle," Deborah said. 

"Thank you. I will think about it, and decide once I have left here."

Max nodded. "Hopefully that will be soon."

"Do you know how Lady Olivia and her friends are getting on in their search for the ring?" Vesper asked, unsure if they would tell her, even if they knew.

"They aren't due to arrive in the Azov Oblast region until tomorrow, and then they'll have to search for the ring, or information about it," Deborah said.

"It's been missing a long time," Max explained. "If it were easily found, then someone would have discovered it a long time ago. We think it may have been buried with Anna Karpinsky at her death, to ensure it did not fall into the wrong hands."

"So why have Lady Olivia and her friends gone to look for it?"

"Because it's better that they find it, if they can, than that Mallory sends someone of his choosing after it. They have, of course, promised to hand it into Valar's safekeeping once they return, assuming they can find it, and we think Miriel plans to take it from Valar and bring it to Mallory, with the intention of coercing you into using the Ring with Miriel's help." Max patted Vesper's hand. "Don't worry, though, it won't come to that. I don't believe Lady Olivia will hand the Ring over to Valar without exposing Miriel's betrayal first."

Deborah looked at her timepiece. "You should go and get some rest, Mistress Vesper, so that you will be ready for the ceremony this evening. I will come to you when it is time to prepare."

Vesper got to her feet, and the others followed suit, Max embracing her warmly. "I'll see you this evening," he said.

"I'll come with you as far as the edge of the wood," Deborah said.

"Thank you."

"And don't forget the exercises I taught you, to help you to relax. If you can get some sleep this afternoon, it's best to do so." 

"I'll try." Vesper allowed the familiar to embrace her as they reached the edge of the wood.

"I'll come to you at dusk," Deborah told her.

Vesper nodded, then turned towards the manor, a fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach.

007-007-007

Deborah led Vesper to the bathroom where she helped the young woman to cleanse herself meticulously. Vesper then put on a white robe of pure linen and a pair of rope-soled sandals, before following Deborah out of the house and down to the wood where Lord Maximillian was waiting for them in the familiar clearing. He greeted her with an embrace, kissing her on the temple.

"Not too nervous I hope?" he asked.

"A bit," Vesper said.

"Well, that's understandable, but Deborah and I will be here with you." 

Deborah smiled at the young woman, then passed her a flagon of mead and a cup. "You're ready," she said softly.

Vesper nodded, then moved across the clearing to where three oaks grew. She sat down cross-legged, aware that Max and Deborah had moved to the opposite side of the clearing so that they could see and hear, but they would not distract her. Vesper closed her eyes and cleared her mind as Max had taught her to do, and once she was sure her head was empty of all thought, she recited the Invocation Max had taught her to Summon an Elemental to be her familiar:

Fare thee forth, Faithful Familiar.  
Come to me now,  
that there may be strength in our union,  
that we might increase in our power.  
By the power of the Goddess  
this must be. Come!

She repeated the words twice more, then made an offering of the mead, holding up a cup of it while she recited a toast to the Goddess and to her potential familiar. Then she drained half the cup, before pouring the rest out on the ground in front of her.

As the last drop of mead hit the grass there came a spiralling flash of blue light a few feet away and as it disappeared a dark-skinned man with twinkling eyes and a charming smile was revealed. Max had warned her that her familiar would be naked, but she still felt slightly bashful at the sight of him.

He walked towards her, bowed, then went down on one knee and offered her his hand. "Hello Vesper, my name is Gabriel."

"Hello Gabriel." She offered her own hand and he clasped her wrist and lifted her hand to kiss the knuckles. Vesper felt a shiver of excitement go through her body and she forced herself to remember to pick up the cup and flagon so that she could pour out a second measure of the mead. Getting to her feet, she offered the cup to Gabriel, who had also stood, and watched as he took a long swallow, before he offered the cup back to her with another smile. Vesper drained the rest of the mead, her gaze locked on his.

"I am glad to meet you, Gabriel," she said.

"Well met, Vesper," he responded. He was gazing at her just as intently as she stared at him, and she felt her arousal grow. She dropped her eyes, then realised that might not have been the best idea, since his nakedness betrayed his own desire. 

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the other side of the clearing where Max and Deborah waited.

Vesper nodded, and he slid an arm around her shoulders, then led her across the grass.

"Good evening mage, good evening Elemental. My name is Gabriel." He held out his hand and Max, then Deborah, shook hands in turn as they introduced themselves. 

"We'll see you both tomorrow," Max said.

"Take care of her, please, Gabriel," Deborah said, and Vesper wondered if she was imagining the slightly anxious tone in the other familiar's voice.

"I fully intend to," he said firmly.

The pair moved away, leaving Vesper alone with Gabriel. "Shall we go up to the house?" he asked.

"Yes."

They made their way through the wood, Vesper conscious of Gabriel's nudity, and the way her heart was thumping in response. When they reached the edge of the trees, Gabriel asked Vesper the location of her room, and she pointed out the windows, which stood open still.

"I will see you there," he said. "Don't delay."

She watched as he transformed into a raven and flew towards the house, then she hurried after him, suddenly conscious of how much she wanted to be with him despite her nervousness.

Entering her suite of rooms, she saw Gabriel, in his human form again, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. He held out a hand to her, and she turned to lock the door, then set a Ward of Silence on the suite before going across to him.

"It may interest you to know that I have been a bonded familiar before, some three hundred years ago as you measure time." He stood in front of her, naked and very aroused, his right hand cupping her cheek. "When I heard of your predicament, I was determined that I would be the one who would respond to your Summons."

"Why?" whispered Vesper as he reached behind her to unfasten the robe she wore.

"Because you have not been treated well since coming into your powers, and I wanted to ensure that you would be treated better once you had a familiar."

Gabriel lifted the robe up over Vesper's head, then tossed it onto a chair, before pulling her body tight against his. He bent his head and kissed her deeply, and she felt as if her knees were going to give way, but he held her to him. 

"Will you have me to be your familiar, to learn, to teach, to share and to protect from this time forward until we are sundered by death?" he asked. 

"I will." Vesper said, then swallowed before she asked, "Will you have me to be your mage, to learn, to teach, to share and to protect from this time forward until we are sundered by death?"

"It will be a great pleasure, my dear." He guided her backwards to the bed, then lowered her onto it before moving his body over hers. Vesper gasped in shock as his member penetrated her at the same times as his power surged into her body. She felt an answering flow of her own power into his body as his mouth moved over her face and neck before he began kissing her deeply. He held himself still while they kissed, then began a gentle rocking of his hips, stirring her passion until it flared up.

"That's my girl," he said, his voice rasping in her ear as he started to move faster, plunging more deeply into her.

Vesper had a moment in which to be thankful for the Ward of Silence protecting their privacy before she found herself crying out incoherently as Gabriel pushed her towards her first climax.

007-007-007

As the Transcontinental Express rattled through the Hetmanate countryside, two mages and two familiars aboard it were busy working out how to combine their elemental powers to the best effect in order to achieve mind-to-mind contact, and working out, also, the logistics of four of them joining together for the sexual act. In the end they settled on either James or Felix lying on his back, with either Olivia or Eve lying on their back on top of their familiar, his member penetrating her behind. Whichever of the two familiars was not on his back then joined with the mage, penetrating her in the more usual fashion, and the second mage knelt over the face of the first mage in order to be penetrated by her tongue. It was something of a balancing act, but then so was combining the elemental powers of all four of them, and the more they practiced, the easier it became, and the more comfortable they grew with themselves and each other.

Olivia was surprised to discover how much she enjoyed being the centre of such a joining, both because of the way the power of the others increased her own, but also because of the way in which she felt cherished by the attentions of the others. When she discussed it with Eve, after their first four-way joining, the younger mage expressed the same feeling, and Olivia wondered why mages and familiars weren't encouraged to join with others outside their pair bond, particularly since she also found that not only were her elemental powers increased, but her ability to focus those powers was improved too. She decided that it was something she would have to discuss with the other Elder Mages at Hultsford Castle after their 'quest' was over.

007-007-007

Olivia and her party left the Transcontinental Express at Tanais, and from there they continued their journey aboard dog sleds; Mathis travelled with Olivia and James, while Tanner travelled with Eve and Felix. Their journey took them alongside a river which separated the mountains to the north from the villages to the south; the river was rapid but muddy, leaving deposits of grey sand on the low reed-laden right bank while undercutting the steep left bank. On the right bank, to the south, lay occasional hamlets – they were too small to be called villages – while on the left bank, to the north, were only the ruins of hamlets deserted by the inhabitants after the river had overflowed its bank too often to make living there an option any longer. All that could be seen in these ruined hamlets were animal tracks: hares, deer, and wolves passed that way still; and the rotting remains of trees and bushes, too silt-laden and water-logged to be of use to anyone. The road, which scarcely deserved the name, ran alongside the river on the right, and a strip of land, about eight hundred yards wide, that was thickly wooded and richly fertile. The mountains to the north had never been scaled or mapped, and the locals avoided them with a fear which outsiders assumed was merely superstitious, but those outsiders who ventured into the mountains thinking in that way, tended not to return.

Olivia and the rest of her party headed to Krasny Salsk, the only town for miles in any direction, as she hoped to learn something of Anna Karpinsky at the Academy there. Nearly twenty-four hours after leaving the train at Tanais, they arrived in Salsk, as the locals called it, and took rooms at an inn; the accommodation was fairly basic, but at least the rooms were clean, the bedding not too worn or discoloured, and the landlord and his daughter were friendly. It was Tanya who told Olivia where to find Salsk Academy, and advised her on how much to pay the cab driver who would take them there.

"Lady Olivia, I think Mathis and I will leave you and your friends to visit the Academy while we see about stocking up on supplies," Tanner said when Olivia rejoined them at the table where they were about to have a late lunch. "You won't need us at the Academy, and we can do our own scouting around for information while we're at the market." 

"Very well." Olivia thought Tanner's suggestion a sensible one, especially since she was certain Mathis was an Intelligence man: he would probably be far better able to gather useful local information than she or her friends.

Lunch, when it came, was filling, cheap and plentiful: bowls of thick stew served with chunks of bread, a rich chocolate dessert that was very more-ish, and strong coffee which, as Eve said, you could practically stand your spoon upright in.

"We'll see you back here for dinner," Mathis said as he and Tanner prepared to depart.

"Tanya told me they normally serve dinner at seven," Olivia told the two men, who nodded, then went out. 

Olivia and the others left soon afterwards, hailing a cab to take them up the hill to the Academy which overlooked the town with scholarly detachment. Eve and Felix sat beside the windows, providing a running commentary of everything the carriage passed, while Olivia leaned into James' body, glad of his warmth.

"Weary?" he asked softly.

"Just a little," she answered. "These last few days have been very intense, as well as productive."

He brushed a kiss against her temple, then snuggled her body closer to his. "Are we going to take a day or two to get some rest before we go on?" 

"I think that would be best," she agreed, stifling a yawn. Their train journey had enabled them to perfect the mind contact spell, however they had yet to test it over any significant distance. Their work on the spell had been strengthened by their experiments with joining as they had found the ability to focus and merge their powers greatly enhanced by their decision not to stick exclusively to their pair bonds.

The carriage stopped outside the gates to Salsk Academy, and James paid the driver, while Olivia spoke to the porter, briefly explaining their wish to speak to anyone who was familiar with Mage Anna Karpinsky's work. He contacted the Bursar, a small, neatly-dressed man with dark hair, dark eyes and gold-rimmed spectacles, who came out to meet them and led them into what felt like a maze of corridors until they reached his study.

"My name is Leo Bek, and you are very welcome." He ushered them into comfortably padded seats ranged around the fire, and offered them coffee, which they politely declined for the present.

"My name is Lady Olivia Mansfield and I am a mage from the kingdom of Hentone. James is my familiar, Mistress Eve Moneypenny is my protégé, and Felix is her familiar."

"I understand you're looking for information about Mage Karpinsky?" the Bursar asked.

"Yes." Olivia did not elaborate as she wanted to see how much he would freely tell her first.

"We actually have an archive of her papers," Bek said. "She spent the last few years of her life working here at Salsk Academy on an occasional basis. I see no reason why you shouldn't have access to the archive."

"And can you tell us where she's buried?" Olivia asked. "I would like to pay my respects."

Bek gave her a surprised look. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you knew. Mage Karpinsky didn't die here."

"Then where did she die?" 

"I'm afraid we don't know, exactly. She and her familiar went up into the mountains to carry out an experiment, and they never returned." 

"Did no one go looking for them?" asked James.

Bek shook his head. "You have to understand there are all sorts of legends concerning this range of mountains. They're said to be home to a wide variety of wild creatures who are generally inimical to humans."

"What sort of creatures?" James enquired.

Bek rubbed the side of his nose and gave an embarrassed sort of cough. "Well, legend has it there are firebirds and golems, amongst other creatures, making their homes there."

Olivia raised an eyebrow but did not otherwise comment. "So which mountain, in particular, was Mage Karpinsky visiting?"

"The locals call it the Swarthy Mountain," Bek said, "because the summit is always lost in black and purple storm clouds."

"Can you show us its location?" James asked, and pulled a map of the region from his bag.

"Of course."

Bek helped James to spread the map out on the nearby table, and everyone crowded round to look as Bek circled the location of the Swarthy Mountain. He explained the easiest way to get there, then warned them that they wouldn't find anyone willing to guide them up the mountain.

"Because of the legendary creatures, presumably?" James asked, his tone sceptical.

"Yes." 

"May we see the Karpinsky archive today?" Olivia asked as James folded up the map again.

"Oh yes, that's no trouble to arrange, if you'd care to come with me." Bek led them out of his study and along more corridors, then up two flights of stairs until they came to a solid oak door which was labelled 'Library'. 

Guiding them inside, he led them across to a small antechamber off the much larger main room with its oak panelling, solid oak bookcases, and leather-bound volumes lit by green shaded lamps on desks and in wall sconces. There were several rows of desks down the centre of the room, but only a dozen of them were occupied. The antechamber was also oak panelled and fitted with oak bookcases, but somehow seemed cosier than the main room, James thought, as Bek led them across to a particular section of one of the bookcases on the wall beside a window that looked out over a pleasant Physic garden.

"This is Mage Karpinsky's archive of papers," Bek said, and gestured to the bottom half dozen shelves. "If you need any help, Librarian Tushnova will be able to assist you."

"Thank you," Olivia said, shaking hands with Bek, who then shook hands with the others before disappearing back into the other room. 

The four of them each pulled a leather-bound volume from the shelves, then they settled themselves at a table.

"What are we looking for in particular?" asked Eve.

"Any references to the Swarthy Mountain, for a start," Olivia said.

James delved into his bag and passed out notebooks and pencils to the others. "I hope these volumes have got indices or we'll be here for weeks," he observed.

Olivia gave him a half smile. "Mine's got an index," she said, and showed him the pages at the back.

"Thank the Goddess!" James said, relieved. He turned to the back of the volume, then pulled a notebook and pencil towards him and began to work his way through the index. The room grew silent except for the sounds of their breathing, the rustling of pages, and the scritch of their pencils as they took notes.

007-007-007

While Olivia and her friends made their way to the Academy, Mathis and Tanner had headed to the marketplace; although they fully intended to stock up on supplies, they were also going to meet up with a contact of Mathis' whom he hoped would have some information for them.

Back home, Mathis had been in charge of interrogating the Vihollisian prisoners who'd been captured during the battle of Ceann Tor, and one of those, a Captain Lagus, had revealed that their War Chief, Le Chiffre, had been encouraged to invade the Kingdom of Hentone by a senior figure in the Hetmanate government. Captain Lagus had not known the name of this government official as Le Chiffre had never mentioned it, instead he'd referred to this individual by the nickname of 'The Poison Dwarf'.

Mathis had duly reported all of this to Queen Tomrys, who had eventually decided to send him and Captain Tanner to Hetmanate to see what, if any, information they could discover there. Mathis' enquiries beforehand, via an embedded agent, had resulted in the arrangement of a meeting between himself, Tanner, and the agent for as soon as possible after they reached Salsk, Mathis having sent Ronson a cable from Tanais to let him know when they expected to arrive.

As they strode along the narrow snow-covered streets, Tanner asked, "Do you think Lady Olivia knows that you're not really the Queen's Private Secretary?"

Mathis uttered a short bark of laughter. "Of course she does, Tanner. She knew that from the outset."

"How?" asked Tanner, apparently surprised at Mathis' confident assertion.

Mathis gave a slight shrug. "For all I know, she has a spell that tells her when someone is lying, although I suspect that it was her own shrewdness and wisdom which told her. She's a very good judge of character, is Lady Olivia, and I doubt anyone ever manages to get much past her."

"Oh."

Mathis bit back a grin of amusement, knowing that Tanner would be aware that he, Mathis, was famed for not bestowing praise on anyone whom he didn't genuinely respect, and that the number of such people was very small.

Mathis liked Lady Olivia a good deal: she was a strong-minded, intelligent woman with a lot of common sense (unlike many of the titled ladies whom he'd met over the years), shrewdness, and wisdom, and she was very attractive, too. If she hadn't been a mage, he would definitely have been vying for her hand in marriage thirty or so years ago. Since she had already been bonded to the Elemental, James, however, Mathis had never mentioned the matter to her, or anyone else. 

Tanner spotted Ronson first, lurking near a stall selling fur coats, gloves, hats and scarves, and Mathis felt Tanner's hand touch his elbow to draw his attention to the agent's presence. Mathis scarcely glanced up, and only gave an almost imperceptible nod to Ronson before he moved on to the next stall where he bought some travelling rugs, which he paid for, requesting that the stall-holder wrap them and deliver them to the inn.

He moved on unhurriedly through the market, and it wasn't until twenty minutes had passed that he and Tanner finally joined Ronson in a side alley where the agent was waiting in the shadows.

"Where is he?" asked Mathis, not bothering with niceties. 

"At home, with his mistress," Ronson answered. "I've got a carriage waiting nearby." He smirked. "Don't worry, it's not stolen, I borrowed it from a friend."

"Let's go, then," Mathis said curtly. He gestured for Ronson to lead the way, and followed, with Tanner bringing up the rear. 

Ronson led them out of the far end of the alleyway into a thinly-populated street of what appeared to be warehouses. Standing in the street was a shabby-looking carriage with a horse between the shafts; Ronson climbed up onto the driver's seat, while Tanner and Mathis pulled themselves up into the interior. While Mathis was never too fussy, he was glad to find that the carriage was clean, despite its shabby exterior, and he settled himself comfortably on the leather seat, stretching out his legs and half-closing his eyes as he waited for Ronson to get them to their destination.

Sitting opposite Mathis, Captain Tanner marvelled at the other man's relaxed state: he felt wound up with tension over what, if anything, 'the Poison Dwarf' might tell them about Le Chiffre's invasion of Hentone, and of what Mathis might do once he had that information, assuming he could get the man to talk. 

Tanner would be the first to admit that he found Mathis rather intimidating; he was a seasoned Intelligence man who'd handled hundreds of interrogation sessions, clocked up innumerable field missions, and had probably killed more people than Tanner, despite his own career as a professional soldier. On the other hand, he also knew that Mathis was deeply loyal and immensely brave, a man who could be relied on in a tight spot, and a man who did not willingly leave his colleagues behind. Tanner was glad that Queen Tomrys had seconded him to Mathis' department following the revelation of Mallory's treachery – he had feared he would be fired, or worse, and he felt that he always knew where he stood with Mathis, who might not suffer fools gladly, but didn't treat his men like playthings either.

The carriage slowed down and Mathis swung himself down out of it almost before it had stopped moving. Tanner followed him, and Ronson led them down a quiet side street in a very upmarket residential area.

"He's clearly not short of a dollar or two," Mathis said quietly when they stopped for Ronson to point out which apartment windows were the target's.

"What's the Dwarf's real name?" asked Tanner, curiously.

"Nikolai Ezhov. He's the head of the Hetmanate Secret Police, and a very nasty piece of work from what I've been able to learn. He's had a large number of people tortured and killed; his speciality is to use a paralysing poison that kills his victims very slowly, but still allows them to talk, well at least until their lungs are paralysed."

Tanner shuddered, appalled at the idea, but he noticed that Mathis didn't react at all, except for a slight frown before he began asking Ronson to describe the layout of the apartment.

"Oh, I can do better than that, sir," Ronson said, looking the tiniest bit smug. "I've got a detailed floor plan."

"And how did you acquire that?" asked Mathis with only the mildest curiosity in his tone.

"I posed as a workman and got the mistress to let me in while the Dwarf was away for a few days. She spent an hour and a half on the telephone to a female friend and left me to get on with my 'work', so I drew this." He flourished the folded piece of paper he'd withdrawn from his trouser pocket and Mathis took it from him.

He unfolded the plan and placed it against the brick wall so that they could all look at it. "Ronson, I want you to cover the fire escape ladder at the back, climb up it so you can cover that door at the rear. Tanner, you're coming in the front with me. If there's to be any shooting, then don't shoot to kill unless it's a case of him or you. Understand?"

Tanner nodded, as did Ronson, then Mathis gestured the latter to get into position, before leading the way inside. They took the stairs up to Ezhov's apartment, although there was a lift, and paused on the landing to check their weapons were loaded and ready for use, before proceeding to Ezhov's front door. Tanner had thought Mathis would knock, but instead he used a lock pick to let them into the apartment, before cautiously making his way inside. Tanner followed him, acutely aware of his thumping heart; he was breathing as shallowly as possible, terrified of making a sound that would alert their target to their presence. They paused just inside the door, both straining their ears to catch any sound, and after a moment they became aware of a rhythmic moaning coming from a room at the far end of the corridor. Mathis looked at Tanner, one eyebrow raised, and the younger man gave a quick nod to indicate his readiness, then followed the older man swiftly and silently down the corridor.

Mathis flung the door open, shouting "Freeze!" at the top of his voice as he barged in, and a woman screamed in sheer terror. Tanner was astonished to see she was dressed in a red one-piece outfit he believed was called a basque, stockings, and high-heeled shoes, with a black leather replica cock strapped between her thighs. The redhead was kneeling on the bed between the legs of a short, dark-haired naked man who was lying on his back with his knees bent, his wrists and ankles tied to the bedposts. It was quite clear just what he and Mathis had interrupted, and Tanner was glad since it meant the man would be less likely to try to put up a fight after being caught in such a position.

"Who are you?" demanded Ezhov angrily.

"Oh, just a couple of new friends," Mathis said coolly. "Get dressed, we're going on a little trip. And don't think of trying anything funny, Ezhov, or you won't live to regret it."

The woman uttered a panicky squeak and Mathis gave her a dispassionate look. "Don't worry, darling, we won't hurt you, just so long as you don't try to get in our way."

The redhead shuffled off the bed, then turned her back on them and began to dress, while Mathis gestured for Tanner to untie Ezhov's wrists and ankles. 

"Just remember, don't try anything funny, Ezhov." He gestured with his gun at the Dwarf's groin and his rapidly deflating erection. "I'll shoot you there, first, but I won't stop with your dick."

Ezhov began dressing, shooting Mathis and Tanner filthy looks and muttering vile imprecations under his breath; Mathis just grinned at him unpleasantly, letting him see that he wasn't fazed by Ezhov's threats.

Once Ezhov was dressed, Mathis gestured for Tanner to grab him, passing the younger man some handcuffs with which to restrain him. As Tanner snapped the first handcuff on, pulling the man's hands behind his back, Mathis turned to the woman, "We've got no quarrel with you, and this piece of scum's not worth getting in trouble over, so I'm going to leave you free, but – " He stepped into the woman's personal space and crowded her back against the wall, "if you try to come after us, to rescue him, things will go badly for you, understand?"

The redhead sneered up at Mathis. "I don't give a fuck about him."

"Glad to hear it," Mathis said, his tone calm and friendly. He turned back to Tanner and gestured to the door. "Let's go."

Tanner put his left hand on Ezhov's shoulder and guided him out of the room, keeping his gun trained on the man as they moved. Behind him he heard Mathis opening the door to the fire escape ladder to let Ronson into the apartment, but he kept his gaze focused on Ezhov, certain that he was not going to go quietly, despite his current apparent acquiescence. 

They'd reached the front foyer before Ezhov made his move, jerking himself free of Tanner's tight grasp and twisting towards Mathis, who must have been even readier than Tanner had believed himself to be, since his foot flew out and caught the smaller man in the groin. Tanner couldn't help a wince of sympathy as Ezhov screamed in agony and crumpled to the floor, unable to clutch at himself since his hands were restrained behind his back. Mathis hauled Ezhov up from the floor and leaned into his face. 

"Shut up, Dwarf! And just remember, the next time you try any funny stuff, I'll make sure the damage is properly permanent, and shoot you, not kick you." Mathis turned to Ronson. "Have you got something we can gag him with?"

Ronson smirked, then delved into his coat pockets before pulling out a spare scarf. Mathis jerked his head at Tanner, who took the scarf and bound it tightly across Ezhov's mouth as the older man maintained his bruisingly-tight grip on Ezhov's upper arm, then continued to hold him as he marched the smaller man out into the street and back to the waiting carriage.

007-007-007

They got Ezhov to Ronson's safe house without further incident, and Mathis explained to Ronson the arrangements that he'd made to transport the prisoner back to Ambresden, where the head of Intelligence, Anderson, would personally take charge of the interrogation. Ronson would be taking Ezhov back, together with three men whom Mathis had had brought over from Hentone, and two women nurses.

"Don't be fooled by the fact they're women," Mathis told Ronson as he prepared to head back to the inn with Tanner. "They're trained agents, just like you, but they've medical training, too. As far as anyone's concerned, Ezhov's a sick man who's going to Ambresden for medical care, and he'll be sedated throughout the trip.

"What about feeding him, sir?" asked Ronson.

"Don't bother. The nurses'll see to it that he's fed via a drip."

"Yes sir."

"I'll be sending the Queen a full written report, and I'll see that you get full credit for the work you did in tracking Ezhov down," Mathis said.

Ronson gave a half smile. "Thank you, sir."

"You did a good job, Ronson. Keep it up." Mathis clapped him on the shoulder. "Keep the Dwarf safe, and I'll see you back in Ambresden in a couple of weeks or so."

"Yes sir."

Mathis gave him a nod, then he and Tanner left the safe house and headed back to the inn.


	5. Chapter 5

Mallory did not get back until nearly twenty-four hours after Vesper and Gabriel bonded, so they gratefully took advantage of his continued absence to start getting to know each other better, exploring each other's preferences while joining, and beginning to learn how to work together as they explored their powers. They spent several hours in the clearing in the woods with Max and Deborah, and Max was surprised at how swiftly Gabriel was learning about Vesper until the familiar explained that he had been bonded with a mage before. 

"I did not know you Elementals bonded more than once," Max said, somewhat taken aback.

"Very few of us do," Gabriel said. "but it's not unprecedented. Some are more willing than others to become the familiar to another mage, but no one is ever forced into it. I was bonded some three hundred years ago, as you humans measure time, and I was with my mage for sixty years before she passed away. I did not expect to ever answer a Rite of Summoning again, but I heard of Vesper's plight from Mistress Elfennol, and I was determined to help her."

"Well, I'm glad that you did, Gabriel. The fact that you have experience of being a familiar means that you're much better placed to support Vesper in her current situation than someone who was new to the role." Max smiled at the younger woman, who smiled back, and he noticed that she seemed far more relaxed than she had before Gabriel's advent. 

"That thought was in my mind, also," Gabriel said. "Have you had any news from Hultsford Castle?"

"Not today." He glanced at Vesper again. "I'm sorry, my dear."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. Besides, you must not worry about me now that I have Gabriel here."

007-007-007

Olivia and the others spent three days in Krasny Salsk; Mathis and Tanner continued to spend time in the town, gleaning information from casual questioning of the locals, while the mages and Elementals continued their research at Salsk Academy. Mathis had confirmed what Leo Bek had told them about the locals' dislike of Swarthy Mountain, having been warned off going near the place by more than one drinking or dining companion.

"Apparently there's been half a dozen travellers who've been killed by one of the legendary creatures in the last half a century," Mathis reported on their second evening as they ate dinner and compared notes.

"That sounds worrying," Eve said, giving Olivia an anxious look.

"Do we know anything about these travellers?" she asked Mathis. "For example, were any of them mages?"

Mathis nodded. "There was a mage and his familiar killed just last year. They'd come in search of Karpinsky's Ring, too, I was told. And when they got themselves killed, some powerful mage came here from Calabria and made a big fuss about their deaths, but the local officials gave the fellow short shrift, apparently, since the mage had been warned in the strongest terms not to go up Swarthy Mountain."

"Sounds like someone was throwing their weight around," Olivia commented, and James asked, "Do we know the name of the mage who came from Calabria?"

"He called himself Father White, I was told."

"Father?" repeated Olivia doubtfully. "How strange."

"He came from Remo, the Calabrian capital city, and the groom who looked after his and his familiar's horses mentioned that this Father White is head of an organisation called the Most Holy League of Soteira, which practices all the old rites associated with worship of Soteira."

Olivia pulled a face, and Eve asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means that they go in for orgies and blood-letting, amongst other things," Olivia answered. "Let's hope we don't run into any of the League's people because they're hardly likely to be the most rational individuals."

"I wonder why they sent someone to find Karpinsky's Ring?" mused James thoughtfully. 

"I don't know, but I rather doubt it was merely to keep it safe," Olivia answered.

"I agree," Mathis said. "I will see if I can find out any more information about this League for you, my Lady."

"Thank you, Mr Mathis, I would appreciate that. If we're going to have competition, I'd like to know about it."

007-007-007

Two days later, the six travellers set off early in the morning for Swarthy Mountain. They were half way up it before they had their first encounter with one of the legendary creatures about which they'd been warned. This was a large bird with bright red, orange and yellow plumage, known as a Firebird, which swooped down upon them as they paused to catch their breath and drink some of the tea they'd brought with them.

Eve and James immediately sprang to the defence of the others as, incredibly, the snowy mountainside ahead of them burst into flames. Eve stood in front of Felix and Tanner, while James stood before Olivia and Mathis, both of them countering the Firebird's flames with their own fiery spells. It was quickly clear to everyone that James' spells were the stronger and that the Firebird seemed to sense this as it soon began targeting Eve more particularly. James did his best to help her, but he was worried about leaving Olivia and Mathis exposed in case the creature was intelligent enough to change tactics, using its concentrated attack on Eve to lure James away from Olivia and Mathis. As much as he could, James combined his powers with Eve's, but he sensed that she was tiring, and he grew worried that she was going to collapse. 

Then Felix stepped up behind her and held her, and Eve's power surged more strongly, helping to beat back the Firebird's attack. It swerved wildly around Eve's little group, shooting off a last burst of flame, before crashing down into the snow some way below the spot where they stood. The snow sizzled hugely as great gouts of flame leapt up from the Firebird's body, but everyone's attention was on Eve and Felix, and Tanner, who had been caught by the Firebird's final flare of flames. Eve had all but collapsed, exhausted, to the ground, but Felix had managed to hold her up.

James hurried to help Felix with Eve, while Olivia and Mathis went to help Tanner, Mathis hastily pulling a first aid kit from his backpack.

"Let me," Olivia said, putting out a hand to stop Mathis from trying to apply anything to the burns on Tanner's left hand and arm, which he'd instinctively flung up to shield himself.

They eased Tanner out of his coat, then Olivia asked Mathis to cut Tanner's sleeve apart since she didn't want to remove any more of his clothes in such a cold climate. She gently held the fingers of Tanner's left hand in her own left hand, then spread the fingers of her right hand a inch or so above the spot where the burn began.

"I'm afraid I can't cure this for you," she told the young Captain. "If I tried, it would leave me drained of energy for more than a day. But what I can do is cool it down and ease the pain somewhat, which will allow it to heal somewhat faster than if it was treated purely conventionally."

Tanner gave her a nod, his lips pressed tightly together as if to prevent himself from crying out.

"Mr Mathis, could you sit behind Captain Tanner and let him lean back against you, please?"

"Very well." 

Olivia waited until Mathis had shifted into position, gently drawing the younger man towards him until his back was against Mathis' chest; he wrapped his right arm around Tanner's torso to keep him still and upright.

"Good." She slowly moved her hand, still with her fingers spread wide, up the length of Tanner's arm, drawing cooling air from their surroundings to ease the heat and pain in his burns. A faint blue-white glow surrounded Olivia's fingers and spread across Tanner's skin.

"I think he's fainted," Mathis said quietly.

Olivia glanced up and nodded. "Yes." She picked up the medical kit from where Mathis had set it down and, removing a vial of liquid opium, gave Tanner a shot, before carefully applying the burns dressings. "We'd better camp here at least until morning," she told Mathis, "Captain Tanner is better off asleep, and Eve will also need to rest and recover."

Mathis glanced around quickly, as if he'd forgotten about the others in his concern for Tanner. "Yes, of course," he said. "And I hope you'll forgive me for saying that you look as if you could do with some rest too."

Olivia gave him a half smile. "I could."

"Why don't you stay with Tanner while I see about setting up our camp?" he suggested, and she agreed readily, far more aware than Mathis could be of, how much she needed to rest for at least the next hour.

As Mathis pulled out the first of the tents, James came over and sat down beside Olivia. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

"I will be once I've had some rest," she answered, leaning into him gratefully as he embraced her. "How's Eve?"

"Also in need of rest, though rather more than you. How's Tanner?"

"He'll live, fortunately. He'll have a nasty scar on his arm, but it won't be as bad as it might have been."

"Thanks to you," James said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." She pulled back to look at him and asked, "Do you think I shouldn't have helped him?"

James looked startled at the question. "Certainly not."

"Good." 

He kissed her gently. "I'd better give Mathis and Felix a hand," he said. "The sooner we've set up camp, the happier I'll feel."

"Very well." She relinquished her hold on James as unreluctantly as she could, then smiled up at Eve as Felix helped her over to where Olivia and Tanner were sitting.

"Are you all right?" Eve asked, and Olivia chuckled. 

"I'm fine," she said, "or I will be. What about you?"

"Exhausted," Eve admitted, and Olivia didn't doubt her; despite her darker skin, the younger mage looked washed out. 

"We'll be camping here until the morning," Olivia told her. "So don't worry about anything except getting sufficient rest."

Eve nodded then, at Olivia's gesture, leaned against her mentor with a soft sigh.

When James, Felix and Mathis came to tell them that the tents were all up, they found both mages asleep and Tanner unconscious. Mathis and James carried Tanner into one tent, then Felix and Mathis carried Eve into a second while James scooped up Olivia and took her into the third tent.

Olivia and Eve both woke again before dusk, and the four shared a meal in James and Olivia's tent as they discussed what other legendary creatures they might meet before they reached the spot which Karpinsky had recorded as being her campsite.

"There's no point in borrowing trouble," Olivia said firmly when she noted that both Eve and Felix were growing anxious. "We can't predict what, if any, other creatures we'll encounter before we reach Karpinsky's former campsite, so it's best not to dwell on it at any great length. It's far more important that we get plenty of rest so that if we do encounter any other creatures tomorrow, we'll all be at our fullest strength."

Goodnights were said, then Eve and Felix returned to their own tent. "I'm going to go and see how Tanner is," James told Olivia.

"Don't be long," she said, with a rather coy little smile.

"I won't." He smirked as he pulled open the tent flap and went out.

007-007-007 

Gabriel flew back into Vesper's room through the open window and she watched as he transformed from a moth into a man before crossing the room to join her in bed.

"What did you find out?" she asked as the familiar pulled her body flush against his.

"Miriel came to tell Mallory that Lord Valar's heard from Lady Olivia's party and she, Lady Olivia that is, thinks she knows the whereabouts of Karpinsky's Ring."

"So they may be home soon?" Vesper asked hopefully. She was eager to get out of this house, to leave Ceann Tor behind, and to do her best to forget about what had happened here.

"It will be more than a week before they're back, even assuming Lady Olivia finds the Ring straight away." 

"Oh." Vesper felt her heart sink, but moments later she was distracted by Gabriel slipping two fingers inside her as he began teasing her.

She had quickly learnt that Gabriel had very distinct preferences when it came to joining, and although he always took care to ensure that she climaxed at least once before he climaxed himself, there was never any doubt that he was in charge, not that Vesper minded. She would, in fact, be the first to admit that she'd had very few ideas about sexual matters until Mallory married her. She enjoyed the fact that Gabriel so obviously wanted to take care of her; with him she felt cherished, whereas with Mallory, she had only ever felt used.

Gabriel kissed her, drawing her back out of her thoughts and making her concentrate on the immediate moment, and she found her body arching up off the bed as he brought her to her release. Then he changed position, moving from lying beside her to lying atop her as he guided his member inside her and she clung to his shoulders as he began to move, slowly at first, then increasingly fast and hard, until she reached a second climax, at which point he let himself go.

Afterwards Gabriel watched Vesper's face as she slept. He had been surprised at just how quickly and completely he had bonded with her; having been bonded before, he had felt a slight concern that he would be inclined to compare Vesper to Elena Geim, his previous mage partner, but there were no such comparisons in his mind. He couldn't forget Elena, of course, but he found that he was able to put his remembrance of her to the back of his mind and not think of her unless he made a conscious effort to do so. Instead, Vesper filled his thoughts and aroused both his desire and an instinct to cherish her.

He couldn't help admiring her strength of mind: the fact that she'd begun teaching herself whatever she could learn from the few books available to her while she lacked either a mentor or a familiar showed that she was not inclined to wallow in self-pity, or waste her potential. He also appreciated the fact that she hadn't let Mallory crush her spirits; Gabriel had already discovered what kind of man the former General was, and been furious on Vesper's behalf that he'd ever laid hands on the young mage. Vesper, however, had shown no trace of bitterness towards the man; instead she pitied him for the way in which Miriel was so clearly using him for her own ends.

She was, he decided, quite an extraordinary young woman, and he looked forward to their future together.

007-007-007

It was a subdued party which set off up the mountain again the next morning; Eve was still weary, and Tanner was in considerable pain despite the dose of opium which Olivia had given him before they set off. He'd suggested that they leave him where they'd camped and collect him on their return but Olivia was reluctant to do so, and when she'd discussed the matter with James and Mathis, they had both agreed that it would be better not to split the party if they could avoid it.

James and Mathis took it in turns to walk beside Tanner, talking cheerfully to him and doing their best to keep up his spirits and distract him from the pain, and by midday they had made relatively good progress in their climb. They had stopped to look for a good spot where they could sit and have lunch when Mathis asked in urgent tones, 

"What's that?"

Everyone looked up to see another large bird, this one's plumage grey, white and blue, hurtling down out of the sky towards them. 

"That's a Varagna," Olivia answered. "It's a falcon that can turn itself into a whirlwind."

"That doesn't sound good," Mathis observed, with considerable understatement she felt.

"It's not."

She turned to look at Felix and they moved away from the others, then they looked up and spoke the words of power together, pouring blue-white light into the sky against the Varagna, which responded with a harsh falcon scream as it began to circle above their heads.

"We need to stop it becoming the whirlwind!" Olivia yelled. "That would destroy us!"

Felix didn't respond verbally; instead he transformed himself into a huge eagle that shot upwards with a whoosh that nearly knocked Olivia off her feet. She immediately dropped her spell, aware that she could easily injure Felix if she continued, and stared up at the eagle as it flew at the falcon, talons outstretched to rip and tear at the other bird.

The battle seemed to go on forever although afterwards Olivia realised it could only have been a matter of minutes at most as the two birds fought high above their heads, both uttering harsh cries of anger.

Finally, though, Felix succeeded in mortally wounding the Varagna, and as he flew back down towards Olivia and the others, she sent another spell skywards to finish the creature off, feeling that such an action was more merciful than leaving it to die of its injuries.

Felix landed with a thump, transforming back into his usual human, and now naked, form with a moan of pain. He staggered and Olivia, who was nearest, caught him and did her best to hold him upright as Eve pulled some clothes from his backpack. To her relief Mathis and James came to her aid, and they got him dressed, although he was already turning blue from the cold.

007-007-007 

Olivia couldn't help wondering if there was someone in charge of the legendary creatures keeping watch over the Swarthy Mountain when, only minutes after Felix had collapsed into her arms, a gigantic figure hove into view. Although human in shape, it was readily apparent that the creature was, in fact, a _golem_ : a being shaped of clay then animated by magic via a spell inscribed on a piece of parchment and secreted in the _golem_ 's skull. Olivia knew from their research at Salsk Academy that a _golem_ was inhumanly strong and utterly incapable of being reasoned with, and as the creature stomped towards their party through the snow she couldn't help wondering whether James and Eve's powers were going to be strong enough to defeat it

Green light poured from James and Eve's outstretched hands as they fired Earth spells at the creature. Olivia watched tensely as the _golem_ didn't even seem to break stride as it drew closer, the ground shaking violently beneath them at its heavy steps.

"James!" she cried, suddenly struck by an idea, "try a Resonance spell!"

James shouted the words of power, Eve echoing him, and Mathis asked, "What is a – ", but he didn't finish his question as the _golem_ began to shudder from its feet upwards.

Then Olivia had another idea and with a quick murmur of "Look after him, please," she relinquished the barely-conscious Felix into the older man's arms, then hurried to join Eve and James. Standing between the pair, she lifted her own hand and muttered some words of power; white light poured from her hand as she added a spell to dry out the _golem_ 's constituent clay to the Resonance spell which James and Eve were using.

The creature roared angrily, its pace quickening in response to their attempts to stop its progress. The _golem_ was mere yards away when it suddenly exploded, releasing their power in a great wave that rebounded back on them with enough force to floor Olivia, and cause both James and Eve to stagger. Unfortunately, before James could recover his balance, a large piece of the _golem_ 's torso crashed into him, knocking him bodily off his feet and throwing him several yards down the mountainside. Olivia, who had been pushing herself up from the snow, let out a cry of horror as she scrambled to her feet and stumbled down after him. 

Mathis came after her and they reached James together to find him lying horribly motionless but thankfully still breathing.

"Can you tell whether or not he's broken any bones?" Mathis asked, his tone anxious.

"Yes." 

Olivia had already knelt down beside James, now she placed a hand in the centre of his chest and muttered a word of power which resulted in a faint glow of blue light spreading slowly across James' body, up towards his head, and down towards his feet.

"He's got three cracked ribs," she said, straightening up and ignoring the dizziness that threatened to send her flat on her face into the snow.

"Only cracked?" Mathis asked. "I'm surprised they're not broken."

"They were," she answered, and caught Mathis' sharp look with a glare. "By partially healing them I've ensured that he's in a better condition to be moved from here."

Mathis' expression cleared. "I understand." He glanced back up the mountainside at the rest of their party. "I think we could all do with some rest and food. Where's the best place to set up camp, do you know?"

"There's a plateau with a lake in it over that spur," Olivia told him, pointing off to the right.

"Then let's see if we can get everyone there safely," Mathis said.

007-007-007

An hour later Mathis and Felix carried James into the tent he and Olivia would be sharing. By this point everyone was exhausted from the effort of getting James, as well as themselves, up to the plateau. In the end Felix had transformed into a polar bear, and Olivia had ridden on his back with James, his ribs now strapped up, propped in front of her. It was very rare for a familiar to carry a person, even their mage, in such a way, but as Felix had pointed out, it was by far the easiest way to get James up to their campsite. 

Felix and Eve were both still exhausted by their efforts against the various creatures which had been attacking them, and after Olivia had ascertained that they were not injured, she left them in their tent. She guessed that they would join, which was the most sensible thing they could do since it would help them recover much faster, and she wished she and James could do the same but he was still unconscious after the attack of the _golem_.

She and Mathis went to the lake shore to fetch some water, and she knelt down to bathe her face, hoping to refresh herself at least a little in that way.

"What in the Goddess' name is that?" breathed Mathis, his tone of horrified fascination attracting Olivia's attention.

She lifted her head sharply to see a pair of large curly horns on either side of a red-eyed, sleek-furred head moving across the lake at speed. As she got to her feet, pushing Mathis aside, the creature leapt out of the water onto the shore, revealing six legs ending in cloven hooves, and a very human-looking pair of arms.

"That's a Bukavac," she answered, "otherwise known as a Lake Strangler."

The creature galloped towards them, moving appallingly fast on its six legs, and Olivia stepped in front of Mathis even as she sent a silent mind-to-mind call to Eve and Felix in their tent: _Sorry to interrupt but there's a Bukavac out here and I'd be glad of some help._

_Be right there_ , Eve answered promptly, and Olivia withdrew her attention to focus it back on the creature, which she abruptly realised, was bigger than a horse.

She gave a loud cry, shouting words of power as she aimed a spell at the Bukavac, attempting to draw out the air in its lungs as it closed the distance between them.

To her horror the creature shot a bolt of energy back at her which she barely managed to deflect into the lake before it was on them. It tried to scoop Olivia up in its arms, but Mathis flung himself into its path, and she couldn't help giving a cry of terror as she heard the creature break his neck before it tossed his body aside, spun around with alarming fluidity, then charged back towards her just as Eve and Felix rushed out of their tent. 

As the Bukavac reached out to try to grab Olivia a second time, she shouted "Eve, try fire!", then she drew down a huge wave of lake water onto the creature's head. Eve threw a firebolt at it, but it was moving so fast that her timing wasn't quite right, and the firebolt only hit the creature's curling horns before sizzling out in Olivia's wave.

Once again the creature span around, but its own momentum had carried it further away this time, giving Eve and Felix time to reach Olivia's side. The younger pair stood at her shoulders and the trio consulted silently, deciding to use a spell that would heat both the air and the water inside the creature's body in an attempt to kill it.

"Are you all right to do this?" Eve asked worriedly.

Olivia gave a tight nod. "I have to be," she answered. "We can't let this thing defeat us now."

The Bukavac was drawing closer again, and she glanced to either side to check that Eve and Felix were ready, then said, "Now."

The trio fired their spells at the creature and for several long moments it looked as if they had failed, then suddenly it gave a shrill scream of terror before exploding spectacularly, lumps of flesh and bone flying off in all directions.

007-007-007

James surfaced from unconsciousness with a soft moan of pain, and tried to remember why his chest ached and he felt so exhausted. His memories came rushing back when he heard Eve's voice worriedly saying, "James, James! Are you awake?"

"Just about," he said hoarsely, forcing his eyes open.

He looked up into the younger mage's dark eyes and her expression made him sit up abruptly, as he demanded, "What's happened? Where's Olivia?"

"In Tanner's tent," Felix said, his hand on James' shoulder. "She's not physically injured, so don't panic, but she's out cold, like you were after the battle at Ceann Tor."

"Oh Goddess!" 

"Wait," Felix said urgently as James tried to find the zip on his sleeping bag. "You're not going to be any use to her with the state you're in."

James looked up at the younger familiar, recognising the sense of what he said. "Then you'll have to help me," he said, "so I can help Olivia."

Eve nodded. "That's why we've been taking it in turns to wait in here for you to wake up."

"Taking it – How long have I been unconscious?" asked James worriedly.

"About four hours," Felix said.

"Where are Mathis and Tanner?"

"Tanner's keeping watch over Olivia. Mathis – " Eve paused and swallowed, then continued, "Mathis is dead. He died trying to protect Olivia from a Bukavac."

"Goddess." James bowed his head, thinking of Olivia's suspicions of the Queen's man. "We'd better join," he said, looking from Eve to Felix.

They nodded, then helped him to unzip the sleeping bag and spread it open fully over the rubber groundsheet. Eve lay down beside him and Felix removed her trousers.

"We'd better not undress fully," the younger familiar said, "too damn cold."

James snorted and muttered agreement as Eve's hands unfastened his own trousers, easing his flaccid member free of the confining cloth. As she began to stroke him, Felix removed James' trousers as well, then his own. 

Once James was fully erect he moved over Eve's body, and she guided him inside her slick heat with a moan of pleasure. He felt Felix's fingers sliding over his buttocks, then easing into him and his hips bucked forward involuntarily, pushing him deeper inside Eve. James made himself hold still as Felix slid his fingers free, then guided his member into James instead. He groaned as Felix pushed deep, then he began to thrust into Eve, feeling both Felix's and her power flowing into him, replenishing his own as it began to flow into them. 

007-007-007

An hour later the trio were fully dressed again and they made their way to Tanner's tent, where they found him reading to Olivia.

"James," he said, sounding relieved at the sight of the familiar. "How are you?"

"A lot better than I was. How's Olivia?"

Tanner gave a lopsided shrug, his left arm still in the supporting sling. "I thought I'd read to her so she'd know she wasn't alone, and it felt silly just talking to her when she couldn't respond."

"Thank you, Captain Tanner, I appreciate it, and I know she will too." He smiled at the younger man, then asked, "Could you give us some privacy, please?"

"Of course."

"Why don't you wait in our tent?" Eve suggested.

Tanner nodded, then made his way out of the tent, leaving the others with Olivia. 

"I'm going to see if I can reach Olivia with the mind-to-mind contact spell, first," James told them.

Eve gave a nod, then she and Felix settled cross-legged near the door while James lay down alongside Olivia; he slipped his left arm under her body to bring her closer and raised his right hand to place his fingertips on her temple.

_Olivia, my love, can you hear me?_

_James?_ Her voice was faint, but he rejoiced to hear it at all.

_I'm here, love._ He kissed her gently on the mouth and continued to speak to her mind to mind; it felt like he was guiding her one step at a time through a dark maze back to the light, and he only knew they'd reached the light when he felt Olivia's arms encircling him and heard her soft voice in his ear,

"Thank you, James."

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he opened his eyes again and found hers intently fixed on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked, reaching up to smooth her hair.

"Exhausted," she answered, "but otherwise I am all right. What about you?"

"My ribs ache, but otherwise I'm fine. Eve and Felix joined with me." He lifted his head, and was slightly surprised to discover that the younger pair had slipped out of the tent without him noticing. 

"Good."

"I hear Mathis died saving you from the Bukavac," he said after a pause for them to exchange some relieved kisses.

"He did," Olivia answered, her expression sad. "I feel awful for being so suspicious of him."

James tightened his arms around her. "I know." He began kissing her slowly and tenderly, guiding her to lie on her back. He slipped his right hand inside the waistband of her trousers and started to stroke her; she gave a quiet little moan and he felt his body responding even as hers did.

He brought her to a soft, shuddering climax, then waited for her to get her breath back, before he eased her out of her trousers, then removed his own.

"Ready?" he asked, kneeling between her legs.

"Yes." She smiled up at him and he lowered his body over hers, carefully sliding his member inside her. Olivia wrapped her arms around him and kissed him more firmly than before, and he returned her kiss, then began to slowly rock his hips back and forth, feeling his power starting to flow into her and her own power stirring back into more vigorous life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter (plus bonus epilogue that sets up the third part of this fic). Thanks to everyone who's read and left comments and/or Kudos.

An hour later Olivia, much restored, and James joined Eve, Felix and Tanner for a meal.

"I think we might have seen the last of the creatures here," Olivia observed as they ate.

"How can you be sure?" asked Tanner.

"I can't, of course," she answered, "but the very fact that it's been several hours since the last attack, when the other attacks all came in such quick succession, leads me to suspect that the way ahead is now clear." 

"Why don't James and I find out?" suggested Felix. 

"You mean transform into birds and fly ahead?" Eve asked, her expression brightening at the suggestion.

"And what if the way ahead isn't clear? If I'm wrong, then you might find yourselves facing something else as deadly as the creatures we've already seen. I don't like the idea of splitting up the party, especially now that we've lost Mr Mathis."

"I agree," Tanner said, surprising them all. "Mathis thought that dividing ourselves could leave people vulnerable, so I think we should stick together."

"It's not a bad suggestion," James told Felix, "but in this instance I don't think it would be our wisest move."

"Very well," Felix said. 

"According to the journal we found, it shouldn't be too much further to where Karpinsky was working," Olivia said. "The lake was very close by."

"I should tell you that Mr Mathis made specific arrangements for our return to Ambresden," Tanner said, startling them all for a second time.

"What arrangements?" asked Olivia immediately.

"We're going to be picked up by an airship crewed by men from Queen Tomrys' army, who will fly us directly back to Ambresden. They're waiting for us on the border of Northvegia."

"How will they know when to come and pick us up?" asked James. "The border's several miles away from here. Or will we have to trek up there?"

Tanner smiled and patted Mathis' backpack. "Mathis brought a wireless telegraphy kit with him. It's the latest thing for long-distance communications without the need for wires. He showed me how to operate it and gave me the codes I'll need to signal Captain Villiers to notify him that we want to be picked up."

"Well," Olivia said after a moment's silence while everyone digested the news, "if it means we don't have to slog back down this mountain and trek all the way back across the continent on the train, I'm all in favour. How long would our return trip take via airship?"

"Three days, maximum, ma'am," Tanner told her.

Olivia nodded. "Let's go and see if we can find Karpinsky's workplace, then."

They packed up their camp rapidly, then headed on up the mountain. As they climbed, Olivia reflected on the way in which Mathis hadn't hesitated to sacrifice himself for her, and she knew she'd feel guilty about that and her previous suspicions of him, for some time. She felt James' hand on her arm and looked up to see him watching her closely.

"It's not your fault," he said softly. "It's obvious from what Tanner has said that Mathis was a capable and organised man who knew exactly what he was doing when he sacrificed himself for you. And, to be perfectly frank, I'm glad that he did."

"I know he made his own choices," Olivia said, "but I feel guilty about not being friendlier to him."

James nodded. "I understand, but remember this – he chose not to tell us the truth about who he was or why he was accompanying us. If he'd wanted us to be friendlier then he'd have told us those things." 

Olivia nodded, knowing that James was telling the truth, and decided she should put her guilt aside for contemplation at some other time. What mattered most, at the moment, was getting Karpinsky's ring, if it was here, and getting back to Ambresden so that Mallory could be dealt with properly.

They crested the next ridge and all stopped to stare in astonishment at the scene that greeted them.

"Well," breathed Olivia, somewhat awed. "Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't this."

"No," agreed James, his hand clasping hers as they took in the sight of a large, grey-stone building that stood in a hollow below them. The building resembled a manor house, but it was topped with battlements and there was a tower on the right hand side, too.

"I was expecting a hut," Olivia said as they began making their way downwards.

"I wonder how many people know of its existence but have kept quiet about it," James said quietly.

Olivia shook her head. "Surely people would have talked, after all this time, if they were aware of it being here?"

007-007-007

It took them half an hour to scramble down to the house. Tanner offered to approach first, in case of booby-traps, but Olivia immediately vetoed the suggestion, reminding him that he was the only one who knew how to summon the airship. Tanner subsided, allowing Olivia to lead the way, with James close at her heels, and Eve and Felix walking on either side of Tanner. 

"It's warm in here," Eve observed as they went through the front door, and Olivia was startled to realise that she was right. 

"How's that possible?" she asked, glancing around the hallway they'd found themselves in.

"This mountain is an inactive volcano," James said. He caught Olivia's surprised look and added, "Sorry, I thought you were aware."

She shook her head. "Since it's inactive, I didn't know."

He gave her an apologetic look. "I imagine that Karpinsky, being a Fire and Earth mage, somehow used the mountain's own elemental energy to provide heat for the building."

"You'd have thought the system would have broken down or something by now," she commented. "After all, it's been over three hundred years."

"I suppose it depends on how the system works," James answered, and Olivia could tell that he was immensely curious, which was understandable since he was a Fire and Earth Elemental. 

"Let's see if we can find Karpinsky's ring," she said. "We can always explore later."

He nodded, and they left Tanner, Eve and Felix to explore the rooms on the ground floor while they made their way up to the first floor. They found what they were looking for, and considerably more, in a book-lined study at the back of the house.

"Is that – ?" began James, staring at the obviously dead woman who was seated in the chair at the oak desk.

Olivia shot him an amused look. "Karpinsky would be over three hundred years old," she pointed out. "So it's not very likely, is it?"

She moved past him to the woman's side, glancing down at a journal that lay open on the desk, then paused.

"What is it?" asked James, quickly moving to her side; Olivia had gone white with shock. "Olivia?" He put his left hand on her back, then looked at the journal when she gestured mutely at it.

He left his hand where it was, but bent forward to read the page which had caught Olivia's attention:

_Ivan is dead. He took the form of a Bukavac to keep away the intruders who have come here, and the magewoman killed him. I had begged him not to go, but he insisted he was in no danger. My heart is broken. 324 years we were bonded, but I will not survive long without him – the magic we used to sustain my life all this time will not last without our bond, even with my ring. Farewell Ivan, dearheart._

There was a signature underneath, James saw – it read _Anna Karpinsky_.

"What have we done?" whispered Olivia, and the raw anguish in her voice made James turn to her and wrap his arms around her.

"This isn't your fault, love," he said softly. "You didn't know – I don't think anyone knew. How could we? Who would've believed that Anna Karpinsky was still alive after over three centuries?"

He held her as she wept quietly, knowing that this would add to her sense of guilt about this damned mission, and angry at Lord Valar and the Queen for laying such a burden on her. 

When Olivia's tears had subsided, she looked carefully at the dead mage, then slid a ring from the third finger of her right hand. "This must be it," she told James. "It's just as described, an iron band with four gems – ruby for fire, emerald for earth, sapphire for water, and diamond for air."

"Let's take her journals with us," he said, noticing that they were neatly shelved alongside the desk.

"All of them?" asked Olivia, clearly startled, which he supposed wasn't surprising, given how many there were.

"Don't you want to learn more about her, and her work?" he asked, knowing very well that Olivia would want exactly that.

"Yes."

"Well then."

"How will we carry them?" she asked.

"I'll find a way," James said firmly, "even if I have to turn myself into a pack horse."

She gave a shaky laugh and he smiled warmly at her, then began taking the journals down from the bookshelves beside the desk.

Eve hurried in a few moments later and said breathlessly, "It's getting colder."

James lowered the stack of books he was lifting from the shelves and set them on the desk. "Yes, it is." He glanced at Karpinsky's body: they'd pushed the chair across to the window while they gathered up her journals. "I suppose that's not surprising, in the circumstances."

"Is that – ?" Eve began, her eyes wide as saucers.

"Anna Karpinsky, the late Anna Karpinsky," James said. "She was still alive, but the magic that was keeping her alive was tied to her bond with her familiar, and when he was killed in Bukavac form, the magic failed." He nodded at the piles of journals on the desk. "We found her last journal."

"Oh." Eve looked stunned, and James asked, "Where's Felix and Captain Tanner?"

"Gone up to the second floor. Captain Tanner wanted to see whether the airship could land on the roof when it comes to collect us."

"Good thinking."

"What're those?" asked Eve, pointing at the journals as Olivia added the last few to the stack on the desk.

"Karpinsky's journals. We're taking them with us to study," Olivia said, "since we can't actually talk to Karpinsky."

Eve nodded, then turned her head towards the doorway where Felix and Tanner appeared a few moments later.

"I've signalled to the airship captain," Tanner told them. "They'll be here in about half an hour."

"Is the roof viable as a landing place?" James asked. Tanner nodded. "Good. We need to find a way of carrying these books up there."

"There are storage boxes in a room on the second floor," Felix told him. "I think it's a sort of lumber room as there was all sorts of stuff up there."

"Then let's go and fetch them down," James said.

The three men went out and Eve moved closer to the desk where Olivia was counting up the journals.

"Are you all right?" the younger mage asked.

Olivia looked up and gave her a tight smile. "I've been better," she said, "but I'll be okay." She held out Karpinsky's most current journal for Eve to read the final entry.

"Oh. That's so sad," Eve said softly.

"Yes." Olivia closed the journal and added it to the stack.

Any further discussion was curtailed by the return of James and the others carrying a number of empty boxes, and the five worked in silence as they filled them with Karpinsky's journals. James and Felix each carried two, while Olivia and Eve carried one each. Olivia forbade Tanner from carrying any since his arm still hadn't fully healed yet.

They made their way up to the roof and were relieved that they only had to wait for a few minutes before the airship arrived, and fifteen minutes after that they were in the air again, and on their way back to Ambresden. Once settled aboard, Captain Villiers told them that he had been notified that Gareth Mallory had been arrested and would be facing trial once they were back in Ambresden since Lady Olivia, at least, would be required to give evidence. Miriel had been arrested at the same time and she was being held at Hultsford Castle, where she would be tried by the Mage Elders and Mistress Elfennol.

007-007-007

On their arrival at Ambresden Castle Queen Tomrys greeted them and listened in silence as Captain Tanner made his report.

"Is there anything you wish to add to Captain Tanner's report, Lady Olivia?" asked the Queen when Tanner had finished.

"Yes, your Majesty. I said, before we went that I thought we were going on a fool's errand, and although we found Karpinsky's Ring, we committed a far greater folly than searching for the ring, for by finding it we killed the greatest mage in the world. We're unlikely to ever see anyone as talented as Anna Karpinsky again, and we've no way of knowing what knowledge has been lost to us as a result of her sudden death."

"We understand, however, that you rescued her journals," Tomrys said.

"We did," Olivia agreed, "but I would far sooner talk to the living mage than work through her journals after she is dead."

"We appreciate your point of view, Lady Olivia. We are grateful to you for the courage you showed in your recovery of Karpinsky's Ring. You and your companions will be suitably rewarded."

It was on the tip of Olivia's tongue to refuse any such reward, but she felt James' mind touch hers as he counselled, _Don't make an enemy of the Queen, Olivia, it's not worth it._ Instead she curtsied to Tomrys and thanked her as courteously as she could, then followed Tanner as he led the way out of the Audience Chamber. She couldn't help thinking of Rene Mathis as they walked up the corridor, remembering how they'd first met him here, and how she'd grown to respect him, especially when they were up on Swarthy Mountain. She wondered if she'd ever come to terms with the guilt and regret she felt at his death, and that of Anna Karpinsky, and she felt a sudden surge of fierce anger towards Mallory and Miriel for instigating the events that had led to those senseless deaths.

James slipped his hand into hers and gave her fingers a squeeze. "We'll deal with this," he said softly. "You're not alone, you know that."

Olivia tightened her fingers around his, glad of the reminder. "What time does Mallory's trial start tomorrow?"

"Nine o'clock sharp in the Court of Justice here," James said. 

She sighed as they stepped out into the Castle courtyard. "I'll be glad when this is all over and we can just go home."

"I know, love. In the meantime, let's go to our lodgings, have something to eat, and get some rest." 

She let James lead her out into the town and up the street to the inn where they had left Eve and Felix while they went to see the Queen with Tanner. The younger couple was waiting in the private room they had hired to serve as dining and sitting room.

"How did you get on?" asked Eve.

"We're to be rewarded for our role in retrieving Karpinsky's Ring," Olivia told them.

"Rewarded how?" asked Felix.

Olivia shook her head. "Queen Tomrys didn't say." She sat down as the waiter came in to tell them that dinner would be served in ten minutes. "I hope she's not going to give us medals – that would be unbearable."

"I suspect Captain Tanner will advise her," James said.

007-007-007

Since they were all still tired after their journey back from Hetmanate, no one lingered over dinner, and James led Olivia upstairs to their bedroom determined to do his best to make her feel at least a little better. They'd had no opportunity to join on the journey back since there were no private rooms on the airship, and very little privacy for conversation either, and he felt a great need for both this evening.

"I am going to pamper you this evening," he told her as he locked the door to their room and set a Ward of Silence in place.

She raised an eyebrow. "You are?"

"I am." His tone was firm and his gaze challenging, daring her to disagree.

"How?"

"A long soak in the bath, a massage to ease all your tense muscles, and the slowest, tenderest joining I can manage to give you." He was watching her face closely and saw the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. He crossed the room to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her long and deep.

 _We also need to talk,_ he said, using the mind-to-mind contact spell, the _mentem_ spell as they called it, so that he could go on kissing Olivia while talking to her.

 _Talking won't bring back Mathis or Karpinsky._

_No, it won't. But talking might help you to begin to come to terms with the guilt you feel over their deaths. I don't want you to be dragging that around with you for the rest of your days._

_You don't think I deserve to be punished for my part in getting them both killed unnecessarily?_ Olivia asked, her tone bleak.

_No, I don't. Mathis knew exactly what he was doing when he threw himself in front of that Bukavac – he was saving your life. He saw the danger you were in, and he acted to protect you. He believed that your life was more important than his in that situation, and acted accordingly. As for Karpinsky, no one knew she was still alive, and she was over three centuries old – she may have died unnecessarily, but she didn't die prematurely. And don't forget, she wanted to stop us finding her, and if you hadn't killed the Bukavac, it would have killed all of us without hesitation. It was us or them, and we survived, but we could just as easily have been killed, all of us. You know that as well as I do. So you have to stop blaming yourself for events over which you had little control. Focus, instead, on what we can learn from Karpinsky's journals. Admittedly it's not as good as learning from the Mage herself, but that was never really an option, and it's certainly more than we expected when we set off for the kingdom of Hetmanate._

Olivia pulled back to catch her breath and rested her head on his shoulder. "How did you get to be so wise?"

He kissed her temple. "You forget, I'm a good deal older than you, measured in your years. Now, how about that bath?"

"Yes please."

"Good." He lifted her chin and looked into her blue eyes, then he kissed her forehead. "No more guilt?"

She shook her head. "No, no more guilt, thank you."

"My pleasure." 

He led the way into the bathroom and undressed Olivia, then himself, and they climbed into the hot water with sighs of relief. He made her lean back against his chest and wrapped his left arm around her torso while using the fingers of his right hand to stroke her until she gave a quiet sob of pleasure and went limp in his arms. He nuzzled the side of her neck, then concentrated on washing Olivia, then himself, before they climbed out of the bath and dried themselves off.

Back in the bedroom, she lay face down on the bed and he gave her the promised massage, concentrating on loosening every knotted muscle in her body until she was as limp as if her bones had been removed. She was also fast asleep by the time he had finished, but he didn't mind in the slightest, even though he was now thoroughly aroused, because he knew how exhausted she still was from their trip. If they didn't join until morning, they could do so before breakfast. What mattered most to him at the moment was that Olivia had a good night's rest since he knew she hadn't slept properly since the day they'd found Karpinsky.

007-007-007

Olivia woke early the next morning feeling very well rested and relaxed, a state she had not been in for some time. She was smiling when she opened her eyes, and the smile became more of a grin when she caught sight of James, who was still asleep, and lying in a relaxed sprawl beside her. She shifted onto her left side and reached out to run a finger down his abdomen and onto his thigh. He murmured something indistinct, but showed no sign of waking, so she reached out to caress his flaccid member, recalling that last night he'd promised her "the slowest, tenderest joining" he could manage, but she'd fallen asleep while he was still giving her a massage.

She had only been touching him for a few moments when he said "Olivia?" in sleepy tones.

"You were expecting someone else?" she asked teasingly.

His eyes opened and he smiled wickedly. "Well, no, not really, but it doesn’t hurt to check."

She snorted a laugh, then leaned in to kiss him deeply, without letting up her ministrations to his member, which was hardening nicely. "I seem to remember you promised to join with me last night," she observed.

"I seem to remember you fell asleep before I could," he retorted, pouting.

"So I did." She gave him an apologetic kiss.

"I'll forgive you." He reached down and lifted her right leg, draping it over his so that he could slip his hand between her legs and begin touching her.

"You're too kind, sir," Olivia said, then smirked when James rolled his eyes at her mock formality.

"Come here," he growled, and pulled her body over his, then wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over so that she lay supine beneath him. 

Olivia moaned with pleasure as he eased his member inside her, then pulled his head down for a lengthy kiss as he began to gently rock his hips. She felt her passion and power rising in a huge wave, like a tsunami, and James' power and passion intensifying like a powerful fire, and she knew that however much she might experiment with joining with others, like Eve and Felix, she would always come back to James, and he to her because their bond was the strongest and the most meaningful.

007-007-007

Olivia and James were called to give their evidence at Mallory's trial early in the day so they were able to sit and watch the rest of the trial from seats within the main body of the courtroom, which was a stark room built of large blocks of stone and lacking in any kind of decoration except a portrait of Queen Tomrys above the Judge's head. 

Gareth Mallory was in the dock, a small box set high up above the main level of the courtroom, reached by a narrow, railed staircase. A guard stood on either side of him, ready to restrain him if necessary, but Olivia thought he looked too exhausted to fight anyone, and she wondered if he had yet been made aware of the fact that Miriel's repeated joining with him had been slowly killing him. 

There was a considerable stir of interest when Vesper was brought in to give her evidence and Olivia saw the Judge, resplendent in heavy red velvet robes and a full white wig, frowning at the buzz of conversation that had broken out when the young woman entered the courtroom and made her way up the narrow staircase to the witness box, which was directly opposite the dock where Mallory stood.

"Please state your full name for the record," asked the prosecutor, a tall, slim man in finely tailored legal robes whose calm, unhurried manner Olivia had found comforting.

"Mistress Vesper Lynd."

"You are a mage?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you were married to former General Mallory against your wishes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please explain the circumstances in which this happened."

Vesper did so, her voice calm and detached, and as Olivia listened, she wondered at the girl's apparent lack of emotion, even as she described being forced to join with Mallory instead of being allowed to summon a familiar with whom she could become bonded. As Vesper described her attempts to learn more of her magical heritage by studying such books as were available in the library of the house in Ceann Tor, she felt a surge of admiration for the girl, and a slight twinge of envy for Lord Maximillian for having this young woman for his protégé. Not that Eve wasn't intelligent, of course, but Vesper was clearly resourceful, and despite being in a difficult situation she hadn't succumbed to self-pity or despair, but instead had done her best to try to educate herself since there was no one to mentor her. Olivia wondered what her familiar was like, and waited almost impatiently for him to appear to give his evidence about Mallory and Miriel's plot. 

She didn't have to wait too long, and when Gabriel appeared she felt James stir beside her. _What is it?_ she asked.

 _Tell you later,_ he said, squeezing her knee lightly. _It's not important right now._

She turned her attention back to Gabriel, noting that his skin was several shades darker than Felix's, and that he had James' height, but he was slightly leaner. He also exuded so much Elemental power that it seemed to fill the courtroom, large as it was, stirring her Elemental senses. James' hand tightened on her knee and she knew that he sensed the same thing. She glanced at her familiar and saw he was staring at Gabriel with a rapt expression; she wondered what James found so fascinating about the other Elemental, and wished that there would be a break soon so that she could ask him.

Olivia finally got her wish when the clerk of the court announced a break for luncheon, and she and James invited Vesper, Gabriel, Lord Max and Deborah to join them for luncheon at the inn where they were staying.

"You've been a familiar before, Gabriel, I believe?" James asked the other man as they started eating.

"I have," Gabriel answered. "But how did you know that?"

"I recognised your picture from one of Mage Karpinsky's journals which we brought back with us. I believe you were bonded with Mage Geim, who was Anna Karpinsky's protégé at the time that they created the Ring."

"I was," Gabriel agreed, and Olivia saw him put a hand on Vesper's arm when the younger mage started violently in her chair.

"You never told me that," she said, sounding horrified. "You only told me you'd been bonded before."

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel intimidated," Gabriel explained quietly.

"I'm sorry," James said, looking stricken.

"It's all right, James, you weren't to know." Gabriel took Vesper's right hand in his left and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "My previous bond partner is unimportant. I'm with you and we're together now, and that's all that matters. I'm not going to be constantly comparing you to Elena Geim because she's in the past, and a very long time dead and buried."

"Gabriel is right," Deborah said. "He chose to answer your Summoning because he cared about you and wanted to help you – that's the only important thing."

Olivia saw Vesper swallow before she answered, "Very well. I'll try to remember that."

"Good." Gabriel lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before releasing it so that she could resume eating.

Lord Max turned the conversation to the latest news he'd heard from Captain Tanner before the trial had started that morning. "Apparently Mr Mathis' last act on behalf of Queen Tomrys before going up the Swarthy Mountain was to capture the man responsible for Vihollisian invasion."

Olivia exchanged a startled look with James before asking Max to elaborate. 

"His name is Nikolai Ezhov and he was the head of the Hetmanate Secret Police. He was often referred to by a nickname, the Poison Dwarf, since he had a habit of administering a poison that paralysed the person he was interrogating, starting at their hands and feet, and working its way inwards to the lungs and heart."

Olivia shuddered in horror at Max's description and felt James' hand on her arm.

Max continued, "The Queen's Intelligence people learned of the existence of this man from a captured Vihollisian, and Queen Tomrys sent Mathis to find out more since it appeared this Ezhov had instigated the Vihollisian invasion. Apparently the Queen's top interrogator, Anderson, has got a confession out of Ezhov, although by rather more humane methods."

"What will happen to Ezhov?" asked James.

"He'll be executed, and his body returned to Hetmanate with a strongly-worded official notice that we do not take kindly to foreigners instigating wars against us via a third party," Max answered.

"I wonder if that will be sufficient warning to the Hetmanate government," Olivia said musingly.

"Probably not," Max answered, "but it might make them think twice before they pull any further tricks." 

007-007-007

After luncheon, Mallory was put into the witness box and called on by the prosecutor to explain his actions; Olivia felt James' hand slip into her own as they watched Mallory make his slow, painful way up the staircase to the box.

"Please state your full name for the record," asked the prosecutor.

"Gareth Edward Mallory."

"The court requests that you explain to us why you challenged Queen Tomrys' right to the throne of the Kingdom of Hentone, and why you married the young magewoman Vesper Lynd against her wishes and against the precedent pertaining to Magekind." The prosecutor looked up expectantly at Mallory.

"It was the idea of Miriel, the familiar of Lord Valar, one of the Elder Mages of Hultsford Castle, that I marry the magewoman. I didn't know that mages are barren and that there is no magic that can make them conceive a child. Miriel kept me in ignorance of that, and of several other things, such as the fact that regular sex with her would drain me of my energy to the point where I'd eventually die."

He glanced across at the Judge, who was listening intently, before continuing. "The whole thing was Miriel's idea. She came to me in the aftermath of the battle at Ceann Tor and suggested the plan. She told me that Queen Tomrys' late husband had had an illegitimate son who would've been my age, if he'd lived, and that as far as she'd been able to ascertain the Queen was unaware of this son's birth or death." He paused to take a sip of water from the glass in front of him. 

"Miriel said that if we put it about that there existed a spell which could be used in conjunction with Karpinsky's ring to get the young magewoman pregnant, then Valar would be bound to send someone to retrieve the ring, if it could be found, and then we would be able to use it ourselves once Miriel had liberated it from Valar's safekeeping. It didn't occur to me that once Miriel had the ring she would use it for her own ends, and that I wouldn't have the chance to use it myself, or have her use it on my behalf."

"What did you hope to achieve with the ring, or if your claim to the Hentone throne had been upheld?" asked the prosecutor.

"Full control of the army," Mallory answered. "I wanted to ensure we were never invaded again. I wanted to make our foreign policy more aggressive and increase the size of the standing army in order to discourage others who might want to follow the example set by the Vihollisians."

 _I didn't think Miriel was that persuasive,_ Olivia observed to James.

 _I don't think he can have been entirely in his right mind to have agreed to her plan,_ James replied.

_No. I wonder just what plan Miriel was following, though, since she clearly wouldn't have been interested in Mallory's._

James shook his head slightly. _I assume we'll find that out at her trial._

007-007-007

Mallory's trial ended with him being found guilty of an attempt to usurp the Queen's position as ruler of the kingdom of Hentone. The Queen had authorised the Judge to offer Mallory the option of spending the rest of his life in prison, but Mallory had asked, instead, to be executed since it was no more than he deserved. Olivia suspected he hoped to preserve what little honour he had left, although she wasn't sure that he had any.

The day his sentence was announced, she and James, and the others, together with Captain Tanner, set off on the ride to Hultsford Castle where Miriel would be tried before the Elder Mages, with Mistress Elfennol presiding alongside Lord Maximillian.

007-007-007

A week later Miriel's trial was held. James and Olivia were very curious to hear her explanation of why she had set Mallory up with Vesper, and why she had wanted Karpinsky's ring for herself.

As there was no courtroom at Hultsford Castle, the trial was held in the Great Hall since that held the largest number of people. Lord Max and Mistress Elfennol sat a table to the left on the dais at the far end of the hall, while Miriel sat at a table to right on the dais; she was guarded, as Mallory had been, although her guards were two unbonded Elementals. A chair was set in the middle between the two tables and it was there that the first witness, Lord Valar, sat to be questioned by Max and Mistress Elfennol.

 _He didn't make a very good showing, did he?_ James asked Olivia as Valar returned to his seat in the main body of the hall, his movements stiff and slow, like a man in shock.

_No, but I cannot say I'm altogether surprised. Miriel had duped him very effectively._

It wasn't until after luncheon that Miriel was questioned, and this time Mistress Elfennol handled the questioning.

"Why did you want Karpinsky's ring?" asked the Elemental.

"For the power," Miriel said it scornfully, as if it was a stupid question. "I knew the legends that surrounded it, that it was said to enhance the powers of whoever wore it."

"Why did you want that power?" persisted Mistress Elfennol.

"Because I was fed up with Valar never doing anything. He's one of the Elder Mages, supposedly one of the most powerful mages in the kingdom, and all he does is dabble. And he hardly ever wants to join. With Karpinsky's ring on my finger, I wouldn't have needed Valar or any other mage."

"What was your reason for involving Gareth Mallory in your machinations?" 

"I needed someone to provide a credible threat so that Valar would be forced to send someone in search of the ring, and Mallory was flattered by my attentions so he was easily manipulated. And I enjoyed fucking him."

A murmur of distaste rippled around the room at this last remark, but Mistress Elfennol ignored it to ask, "Why didn't you just go in search of the ring yourself?" 

"Because Valar would have wanted to know where I was going and why. Besides, why would I want to go to a filthy, freezing country like Hetmanate when others could be persuaded to go instead?"

007-007-007

It was very late in the afternoon before Miriel's trial concluded and the sentence was announced.

"Your punishment for your instigation of the plot with Gareth Mallory against Queen Tomrys of Ambresden, and the mages of Hentone, is perpetual banishment to the Elemental Realm," pronounced Mistress Elfennol. 

There was a collective murmur disquiet around the Hall: such a punishment was very rare, not least because it deprived a living mage of their bonded familiar.

"Furthermore," continued Mistress Elfennol, "you are banned from ever answering a Rite of Summoning or entering the mortal realm again during your lifetime."

James was aware of Olivia looking at him to see his reaction and he wondered if he appeared as shocked as he felt. Miriel looked utterly appalled, and he had to admit to himself that Mistress Elfennol's punishment was an apt one for a familiar who took so much sensual pleasure in her corporeal form. He wondered whether Miriel would plead for mercy, but although she seemed stricken she spoke no word.

"Does the punishment meet with the approval of the Elder Mages?" Mistress Elfennol asked.

"My lady, it does," replied Lord Maximillian formally.

"Then I invite the familiars James, Deborah, Felix and Gabriel to formally witness the ceremony in the Elemental Realm. Additionally I invite Lord Valar, Lady Olivia, Lord Maximillian, Mistress Eve and Mistress Vesper to witness the ceremony so that both mages and Elementals may be satisfied that the banishment has been carried out."

"Our thanks to you, Mistress Elfennol," answered Lord Maximillian on their behalf. "We accept."

Mistress Elfennol nodded, then took Miriel by the arm and the two of them vanished in a whirl of multicoloured light.

"How can we mages witness the ceremony?" asked Olivia quietly under cover of the buzz of conversation that had broken out at the departure of the two Elementals.

James gave a shrug. "I don't know, but Mistress Elfennol must have a way or she wouldn't have invited you to witness it."

"Have you ever heard of an Elemental being banned before?"

He shook his head. "Never. Miriel will take such a ban very hard indeed." He glanced over at Lord Valar, noting that the Elder Mage appeared to have aged a decade in the last hour.

"It's Valar I feel sorry for," Olivia said, following James' gaze. "I doubt he'll want to bond with a new familiar at his age, and with Lord Max taking over as leader of the Elder Mages, I don't know what he'll find to do with himself."

James had no chance to respond to that as Lord Max approached them both. 

"Lady Olivia, James, we're going up to the Observatory in order to witness the ceremony which Mistress Elfennol mentioned."

"Very well." Olivia turned to follow Lord Max, and James slipped his arm around her shoulders wanting to both give and receive comfort from their close contact.

In the Observatory they were joined by the others whom Mistress Elfennol had named as witnesses, and Mistress Elfennol appeared shortly thereafter to explain how the mages could witness a ceremony taking place in the Elemental Realm.

"There is a little known drug called Ergot which allows Mages to see into the Elemental Realm. You take a small dose, then enter a trance-state, and after a few minutes you will be able to witness the ceremony."

She handed Lord Max a small phial of a pale blue liquid. "You only need two drops on the end of your tongue," she told him.

"Thank you, Mistress Elfennol."

The Elemental bowed, then disappeared in a spiral of light, and Lord Max looked around at the other Mages, who were seated at the table. "If everyone is ready, I'll begin."

There were murmurs of agreement from the others, and James gave Olivia's shoulder a brief squeeze before he made the transition into the Elemental Realm. He was aware of Deborah to his far right, while Felix and Gabriel stood much closer on either side of him. Other, unbonded, Elementals stood around them in a great circle, at the centre of which were Miriel and Mistress Elfennol. Miriel's Elemental form was almost translucent, James noticed, and he guessed that she was frightened about what was going to happen. He found himself wondering what Olivia could see, and reminded himself to ask her when he returned.

He listened as Mistress Elfennol explained her decision regarding Miriel's punishment to the assembled Elementals, then she recited a brief spell:

"Let all acknowledge, I have bound Miriel  
To this Realm only, from which she may not pass  
By the power of Earth, Fire, Air and Water,  
I fix this Elemental, she is no longer free,  
As I will it, so shall it be."

"So shall it be!" cried the Elementals, acknowledging Mistress Elfennol's words, and knowing that Miriel was now bound permanently in the Realm of Elementals.

James and the others returned to the human realm, and the mages and their familiars went their separate ways to their rooms until it was time for dinner. James and Olivia would be setting out for Walden Hall in the morning, and he knew that Olivia was almost desperate to get home again, a feeling he shared. They both hoped to remain firmly at the Hall for the rest of the year, having had quite enough of travelling this year. 

007-007-007

Epilogue

As Olivia and the rest of her party began their journey home to Walden Hall, in the city of Remo in Calabria a secret meeting was taking place in a torch-lit underground chamber which reeked of damp stone overlaid with the scents of sandalwood and juniper. 

"Our sister, Mage Karpinsky, and our brother, Ivan, her familiar, will be mourned and honoured by us all for their untimely deaths at the hands of the Mage Olivia Mansfield and her friends," said a deep voice from within the hood of a flame-red robe. 

"May the Goddess Soteira preserve them," intoned the other figures who stood in a semi-circle facing the first speaker.

"And may the Goddess Soteira bring them to life anew hereafter," responded the original speaker. "Brother Rodriguez, what did you find out about these interlopers?"

A burly figure in a robe of red and orange stepped a pace forward and lifted his head, although his hood shielded his face from the other members of the Most Holy League of Soteira, that band of mages and familiars which had been founded three hundred years earlier to protect the work of Mage Karpinsky, without knowing that the Mage herself still lived.

"Lady Olivia Mansfield is an Air and Water Mage, and one of the five Elder Mages in the Kingdom of Hentone. As we saw, via the _longsight_ spell, she is a powerful mage, capable of working not only with her familiar, James, but also with her protégé, the mage Eve Moneypenny, and her familiar Felix. It is my belief, from the ease with which she combined her powers with the younger mage and her familiar that she, like Mage Karpinsky, has begun to explore the merits of sexual joining outside the bond pair with her familiar." He paused to licks his lips unseen within his hood, and felt his member beginning to swell and lengthen at the thought of taking the mage for himself. He kept his hands resolutely folded inside the sleeves of his robe, gripping his forearms so that he could not begin touching himself.

"Lady Olivia was sent to reclaim the Iron Ring by Lord Valar, at the request of Queen Tomrys of the Kingdom of Hentone." He went on to explain in detail the events that had led up to the Queen sending Lady Olivia to Hetmanate in order to recover the Iron Ring.

"Very good, Brother Rodriguez, you have done well and will be aptly rewarded." The other man returned to his place with a bow, before the first speaker continued, "We must find a way to retrieve the Iron Ring, and we must decide how best to punish both Lady Olivia and this Queen of hers, for taking the Ring in the first place, and for the death of Mage Karpinsky. I will retire to meditate and seek Goddess Soteira's judgement in the matter. We will reconvene in twelve hours to discuss their punishment."

He leaned forward and lit the brazier in front of him with a flicking gesture and a mutter of words of power, and as he did so the others in the chamber began to chant:

"Sky fall, Earth rise, Seas burn, Air dries, When Soteira returns."

The chant continued as the first speaker, Abbot White as he was known, turned and made his way out of the chamber, his familiar (dressed in a sky-blue hooded robe) at his heels.

"Shall we join with Rodriguez?" Solange asked as they made their way upstairs to the office White maintained.

"We shall," White answered. "It remains the best way of keeping him on his leash."

"Mmm, good." The familiar stepped inside White's office and threw back her hood, revealing a dark-haired woman with full, sensuous lips.

"In the meantime we must try to find out how Olivia Mansfield managed to succeeded where so many of our people failed. How did she defeat the creatures on Swarthy Mountain, and why, in the name of Soteira, didn't we know that Anna Karpinsky was still alive and living up on that accursed mountain?"

"I assume that Ivan helped her to shield herself," Solange said. "As you know, we Elementals can do that, so perhaps they found a way to extend that magic so that Anna was also shielded?"

White nodded. "We must find out."

When Rodriguez knocked on White's door a few minutes later, Solange was already sprawled naked on the sofa in the corner of the room, and the younger man's eyes went straight to the woman, lust hazing his dark eyes.

"Take her, she's yours," White ordered as Rodriguez's familiar locked and bolted the door behind her.

"Thank you, Father Abbot."

White watched as Rodriguez made haste to shed his robe, and pondered how best he might use this volatile young Mage against Olivia Mansfield: he was determined that she would bitterly regret her theft of the Iron Ring and the death of Mage Karpinsky, and White wondered if he could make use of Rodriguez's almost insatiable sexual appetite, together with Olivia Mansfield's recent experiments in joining with others besides her familiar, to the advantage of the League. As Rodriguez's familiar began stroking White's member, he saw that Rodriguez was already vigorously rutting into Solange, and as White's attention began to drift away from the troublesome Olivia Mansfield he resolved to ask the younger mage if he had any suggestions on how best to punish her.


End file.
